Anaemia
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• What is anaemia?
• What are the causes of anaemia?
• What are the symptoms of anaemia?
• What are the types of anaemia?
• Iron deficiency anaemia
• Folic acid deficiency anaemia
• Pernicious or megaloblastic anaemia
• Sickle cell anaemia
• Thalassemia
• Aplastic anaemia |
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What is anaemia?
Anaemia is a condition in which there is decrease in red blood cells resulting in inadequate oxygen supply to the tissues of the body. Red blood cells contain haemoglobin and haemoglobin carries oxygen to the tissues and cells of the body..
What are the causes of anaemia?
There are many reasons for anaemia to occur:
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Lack of iron in diet can cause anaemia. |
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Blood loss due to conditions like peptic ulcers, duodenal ulcers. |
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Haemorrhoids. |
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Heavy bleeding during menstruation. |
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Colon, stomach or oesophageal cancers |
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Certain intestinal infections like hookworm etc. |
What are the symptoms of anaemia?
The symptoms of anaemia may vary from each person to person. Some of the common symptoms are:
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Weakness. |
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Fatigue. |
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Shortness of breath. |
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Giddiness. |
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Headache. |
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Increased heart-beat |
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Pale and dry skin |
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Irritable mood. |
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Pain in chest. |
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Irritable mood. |
What are the types of anaemia?
There are different types of anaemia:
Iron deficiency anaemia:
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia. When loss of iron is not made up by sufficient intake of iron and there is not enough storage of iron then iron deficiency results.
Causes:
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Chronic bleeding e.g excessive menstruation or bleeding from gastrointestinal tract like haemorrhoids or ulcers. |
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Inadequate intake of dietary iron. |
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Medicines or drugs interfering the absorption of iron. |
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Malabsorption syndrome |
Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia:
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Pallor. |
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Weakness. |
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Palpitations and giddiness. |
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Sleepiness. |
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Difficulty in breathing. |
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Pica ( abnormal craving for non-nutritive foods) |
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Hairloss. |
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Tinnitus(ringing in the ears). |
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Constipation. |
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Prolonged and heavy menses. |
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Tingling and numbness. |
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Angular cheilitis (inflammation at the corners of mouth). |
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Glossitis (inflammation of the tongue). |
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Brittle and weak nails. |
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Plummer-Vinson syndrome. |
Folic acid deficiency anaemia
When our body does'nt get enough folic acid, folic acid deficiency anaemia results. Folic acid is one of the B vitamins which helps our body to make new red blood cells.
Causes:
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Poor diet not containing enough folic acid. |
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In pregnancy, when the demand is increased. |
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Alcohol abuse preventing absorption of folic acid. |
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Overcooking of food, destroying most of the nutrients. |
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Neoplastic diseases. |
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Skin disorders. |
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Due to certain medications e.g anticonvulsants. |
Symptoms:
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Weakness and tiredness. |
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Giddiness and headache. |
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Forgetfulness and irritability. |
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Weight loss and loss of appetite. |
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Difficulty in breathing. |
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Palpitations. |
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Glossitis and apthae in mouth. |
Foods high in folic acid are:
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Green leafy vegetables. |
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Citrus fruits e.g. Oranges. |
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Wheat bran. |
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Green peas. |
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Poultry products. |
Pernicious or Megaloblastic anaemia
It is caused by the inability of the intestines to absorb Vitamin B12 which helps in the production of the healthy red blood cells. Pernicious anaemia refers to Vitamin B12 deficiency due to lack of intrinsic factor.
Causes:
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Lack of intrinsic factor. |
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Medicines or drugs preventing absorption of Vitamin B12. |
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Inflammatory bowel disease.e.g. Celiac disease, Crohn's disease etc. |
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Less intake of Vitamin B12 in diet. |
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Surgical removal of a part of intestine. |
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Strict vegeterians. |
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Family history of pernicious anaemia. |
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History of autoimmune endocrine disorders. |
Symptoms:
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Fatigue or weakness. |
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Rapid heart rate and shortness of breath. |
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Pallor and low blood pressure. |
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Mental exhausation. |
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Frequent diarhoea. |
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Glossitis. |
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Neuralgic pain. |
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Lack of sensibility. |
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Tingling and numbness in fingers and toes. |
Sickle cell anaemia
Sickle cell is an inherited, chronic blood disease where the red blood cells become crescent/shaped and function abnormally. When the blood cells become cresent/sickle shaped, they are unable to deliver adequate amounts of oxygen to other cells. The Sickle Cell Disease results in anaemia, episodes of pain and increased susceptibility to infections.
Causes:
People who inherit a sickle cell gene from one parent and a normal gene from the other parent have a condition called sickle cell trait. Sickle cell trait is different from sickle cell anemia.
People who have sickle cell trait don’t have the disease, but they have one of the genes that cause it. People who have sickle cell trait can pass the gene to their children.
Symptoms:
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Weakness and fatigue. |
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Breathlessness. |
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Delayed growth and puberty. |
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Susceptibility to infections. |
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Recurrent abdominal pain. |
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Chest pain and rapid heart reate. |
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Pain around genitals. |
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder which is passed from parents to children through genes. People who have thalassemias can have mild or severe anemia. This condition is caused by a lower than normal number of red blood cells or not enough hemoglobin in the red blood cells.
Causes:
Hemoglobin has two kinds of protein chains:alpha globin and beta globin. If your body doesn't make enough of these protein chains, red blood cells don't form properly and can't carry enough oxygen. People who have thalassemia make less hemoglobin and have lesser circulating red blood cells than normal, which results in mild or severe anaemia.
Genes control how the body makes hemoglobin protein chains. When these genes are missing or altered, thalassemias occur.
Thalassemias are inherited disorders. That is, they're passed on from parents to their children through genes. People who get abnormal hemoglobin genes from one parent but normal genes from the other are called carriers. Carriers often have no signs of illness other than mild anaemia. They can pass the abnormal genes to their children.
People with moderate to severe forms of thalassemia have inherited abnormal genes from both parents.
Alpha Thalassemias
Four genes (two from each parent) are needed to make enough alpha globin protein chains. If one or more of the genes is missing, you will have alpha thalassemia trait or disease. This means that you don't make enough alpha globin protein.
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If you have only one missing gene, you're a silent carrier and won't have any signs of illness. |
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If you have two missing genes, you have alpha thalassemia trait (also called alpha thalassemia minor). You may have mild anaemia. |
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If you have three missing genes, you likely will have hemoglobin H disease (which a blood test can detect). This form of thalassemia causes moderate to severe anaemia. |
Beta Thalassemias
Two genes (one from each parent) are needed to make enough beta globin protein chains. If one or both of these genes are altered, you will have beta thalassemia. This means that you don't make enough beta globin protein.
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If you have one altered gene, you're a carrier. This condition is called beta thalassemia trait or beta thalassemia minor. It causes mild anaemia. |
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If both genes are altered, you will have beta thalassemia intermedia or beta thalassemia major (also called Cooley's anemia). The intermedia form of the disorder causes moderate anaemia. The major form causes severe anaemia. |
Symptoms of thalassemia:
People who are carrier of thalassemia do not have any symptoms. Mild form of anaemia is present. In most severe type of thalassemia, the following symptoms may include:
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Weakness and fatigue. |
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Paleness of skin. |
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Abnormal facial bones. |
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Swollen abdomen due to enlarged spleen and liver. |
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Dark coloured urine. |
Aplastic anaemia
Aplastic anaemia is a rare blood disorder but very serious disorder that results from unexplained failure of the bone marrow to produce enough blood cells.
Causes of Aplastic anaemia:
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radiation therapy |
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chemotherapy |
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toxic chemicals |
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some medications |
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bone marrow infections. |
Symptoms of Aplastic anaemia:
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Fatigue |
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Shortness of breath with exertion |
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Rapid or irregular heart rate |
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Pale skin |
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Frequent or prolonged infections |
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Unexplained or easy bruising |
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Nosebleeds and bleeding gums |
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Prolonged bleeding from cuts |
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Skin rash |
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Dizziness |
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Headache |
Diagnosis of anaemia:
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Blood tests to detect the various components of blood is carried out for proper diagnosis. |
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Red blood cell count may be normal or decreased. |
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White blood cell count is usually normal. |
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Blood iron is reduced or decreased. |
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Total iron binding capacity of blood shows an increase. |
Treatment of anaemia:
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Diet is very important in treatment of anaemia. Vegetables rich in iron are spinach, carrots, radishes, beetroots, tomatoes, potatoes and green onions. Fruits rich in iron are bananas, apples, apricots, plums, raisins and strawberries. |
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In case of mild anaemia, your doctor may prescribe you iron supplements. |
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Vitamin supplements are given orally or subcutaneously to replace specific deficiencies. |
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In severe cases of anaemia, blood transfusion may be necessary. |
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