Types of anemia

There are many different types of anemia. Although all types of anemia are characterized by dysfunctional or low levels of red blood cells, the causes, severity, and treatment of the different kinds of anemia can vary. Anemia is a health condition that occurs when you don’t have enough red blood cells or when the red blood cells in your body are unable to function properly. Anemia can cause symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath. There are many types of anemia. Some types of anemia can be treated easily and resolved quickly. Other types are more serious and require more intensive, possibly lifelong, treatment. This article looks at the different types of anemia, their causes, and treatment options. There are many types of Anemia is typically diagnosed with blood tests that look at the number, shape, and health of your red blood cells. If the condition is diagnosed as anemia, treatment will depend on the type of anemia you have. Anemia is typically divided into three main types, each of which can have different causes: • Microcytic: With • Normocytic: In • Macrocytic: Let’s take a closer look at these three types of anemia in more detail. In microcytic anemia, red blood cells are smaller than they should be. This happens because your red blood cells don’t have enough The types of conditions that can cause microcytic anemia include: • Iron-deficiency anemia: • • not enough iron in your diet • difficulty absorbing iron • • • Sideroblastic anemia: In • Th...

Anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. Haemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen and if you have too few or abnormal red blood cells, or not enough haemoglobin, there will be a decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. This results in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath, among others. The optimal haemoglobin concentration required to meet physiologic needs varies by age, sex, elevation of residence, smoking habits and pregnancy status. Anaemia may be caused by several factors: nutrient deficiencies through inadequate diets or inadequate absorption of nutrients, infections (e.g. malaria, parasitic infections, tuberculosis, HIV), inflammation, chronic diseases, gynaecological and obstetric conditions, and inherited red blood cell disorders. The most common nutritional cause of anaemia is iron deficiency, although deficiencies in folate, vitamins B12 and A are also important causes. Anaemia is a serious global public health problem that particularly affects young children, menstruating adolescent girls and women, and pregnant and postpartum women. WHO estimates that 40% of children 6–59 months of age, 37% of pregnant women, and 30% of women 15–49 years of age worldwide are anaemic. Anaemia can cause a range of non-specific symptoms including tiredness, weakness, dizziness or light-headedness, drowsiness, and shortness of breath, ...

Anemia is not a diagnosis; it is a manifestation of an underlying disorder (see Etiology of Anemia Anemia is a decrease in the number of red blood cells (RBCs), which leads to a decrease in hematocrit and hemoglobin content. (See also Red Blood Cell Production.) The RBC mass represents the... read more ). Thus, even mild, asymptomatic anemia should be investigated so that the primary problem can be diagnosed and treated. Anemia has many risk factors. For example, a vegan diet predisposes to Megaloblastic Macrocytic Anemias Megaloblastic anemias result most often from deficiencies of vitamin B12 and folate. Ineffective hematopoiesis affects all cell lines but particularly red blood cells. Diagnosis is usually based... read more , whereas alcohol use disorder increases the risk of Megaloblastic Macrocytic Anemias Megaloblastic anemias result most often from deficiencies of vitamin B12 and folate. Ineffective hematopoiesis affects all cell lines but particularly red blood cells. Diagnosis is usually based... read more . A number of Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease (a hemoglobinopathy) causes a chronic hemolytic anemia occurring almost exclusively in people with African ancestry. It is caused by homozygous inheritance of genes for hemoglobin... read more are inherited, and certain Overview of Hemolytic Anemia At the end of their normal life span (about 120 days), red blood cells (RBCs) are removed from the circulation. Hemolysis is defined as premature destruction and h...

Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC): Transferrin, a protein that transports iron, is elevated in iron-deficiency anemia—a sign that the body needs more iron. The TIBC, an indirect measurement of transferrin, is usually high when iron stores are decreased and low when iron stores are elevated. TIBC is low or normal in anemia of chronic disease—a sign that there is enough iron but it is not readily available. In iron-deficiency anemia, TIBC is typically high, often in excess of 400 mcg/dl because iron stores are low. • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. • American Society of Hematology. • MedlinePlus. • The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation. • John Hopkins Medicine. • Goldstein JL, Cryer B. Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2015;7:31-41. doi:10.2147/DHPS.S71976 • Madu AJ, Ughasoro MD. Med Princ Pract. 2017;26(1):1-9. doi:10.1159/000452104 • Cancer Therapy Advisor. • Kell DB, Pretorius E. Metallomics. 2014;6(4):748–773. doi:10.1039/c3mt00347g • Yokus O, Yilmaz B, Albayrak M, Balcik OS, Helvaci MR, Sennaroglu E. Eurasian J Med; 43(1):9-12. • Merck Manual Professional Version. Additional Reading