What Are Amenia?
The literal meaning of the word Anemia (also spelled Anaemia)
is lacking blood or without blood. People suffering from the condition
known as Anemia have a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is a protien found in red blood cells that carries
oxygen throughout the body. Anemia reduces the ability of your
blood to transfer oxygen to the various tissues throughout the
body. There are three main causes of Anemia. The causes include
the following:
• Hemorrhage – excessive blood loss.
• Hemolysis – excessive red blood cell destruction.
• Deficient red blood cell production
Of all possible
blood disorders, Anemia is the most common. There are several
kinds of Anemia. produced by a variety of underlying causes.
Consider the following Anemia classifications:
• Decreased Anemia ( Microcytic Anemia)
• Normal Anemia ( Normocytic Anemia)
• Enlarged Anemia ( Macrocytic Anemia or Megaloblastic
Anemia).
Anemia goes undetected in many people; however, understanding
what the potenetial symptoms may be will help people to diagnose
Anemia. The following is a list of symptoms, which should be
reviewd carefully:
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations
• Sweatiness
The most common type of Anemia is Iron Deficiency Anemia. Iron
Deficiency Anemia is caused when a persons dietary intake or
iron absorption is insufficient. Iron is a critical part of
hemoglobin. Thus, low iron level will decrease the quantities
of hemoglobin in red blood cells causing poor oxygenation of
the various tissues of the body. Much less common causes of
Anemia are hemoglobinopathies such as Sickle-Cell Disease and
Thalassemia.
Anemia develops for a variety of reasons although many of the
causes are rare in relation to Iron Deficiency Anemia. As a
result of the variety of Anemia Causes, Anemia is referred to
and named using the following distictions in addition to the
classifications listed above:
• Sideroblastic Anemia – caused by abnormal production
of red blood cells.
• Aplastic Anemia – caused by the bone marrow’s
inability to produce blood cells.
• Megaloblastic Anemia – caused by a deficiency
of either vitamin B12 or folic acid
• Pernicious Anemia – caused by the inability to
absorb vitamin B12 from food.
