Contents
We usually associate anemia with iron deficiency. Meanwhile, this is only one of the few causes of this ailment. What causes anemia, how to recognize and treat it?
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1/8 Anemia
Anemia, or anemia, is a group of symptoms characterized by a low level of hemoglobin in the blood. This may be due to a breakdown in the red blood cell production mechanism or a reduction in their lifetime. This results in inadequate oxygenation of the blood. Untreated anemia can lead to severe exhaustion of the body, so it is important not to ignore its first symptoms. photo: Shutterstock
2/ 8 Chronic fatigue
One of the first symptoms of anemia is chronic fatigue. It often occurs along with dizziness and headaches. As a result, the person with anemia is sleeping more than usual. photo: Shutterstock
3/ 8 A constant feeling of cold
Another disturbing symptom is the constant feeling of cold. In addition to the feeling of coolness, there is also a measurable decrease in body temperature. So if you feel cold even in a well-heated room, measure the temperature. You may find that your body is just signaling that it is not getting enough oxygen. photo: Shutterstock
4/ 8 Pale complexion
The classic symptom of anemia is pale complexion. In some cases it can also be combined with its roughness. Sometimes these symptoms are accompanied by brittleness of hair and nails as well as the occurrence of seizures in the corners of the mouth. photo: Shutterstock
5/ 8 Problems with the circulatory system
When the amount of oxygen in the body is reduced, the heart has to pump blood more intensively in order to properly oxygenate the organs. As a result, symptoms of the circulatory system sometimes also appear in anemia. This could be arrhythmia, shallow breathing or chest pain. photo: Shutterstock
6/ 8 Blood test
All of the above symptoms do not clearly indicate anemia, but they are a signal that should not be ignored. If any of them appear, we should go to blood tests immediately. Usually, a morphology is performed first, but unfortunately this test shows anemia only in an advanced stage. Therefore, it is also worth examining the level of ferritin. photo: Shutterstock
7/ 8 The causes of anemia
If an anemia is diagnosed by a physician, it is important to look for the cause. We usually associate anemia with deficiency of iron in the blood. Indeed, it can cause anemia, but it is not the only cause. The deficiency of vitamin B12, folic acid and copper is equally dangerous. Another cause of the disease may be the shortened lifetime of red blood cells. Environmental factors that increase the likelihood of anemia are: drug abuse, contact with strong chemicals, radiation of the bone marrow with X or Gamma radiation, bacterial bone marrow damage. Some of the anemia is congenital. This applies in particular to anemia caused by an abnormal structure of hemoglobin (thalassemia, sickle cell anemia) or the red blood cells themselves (spherocytosis). The figure shows a healthy erythrocyte that has been changed as a result of sickle cell anemia (on the right). photo: Shutterstock
8/ 8 Treatment of anemia
If a specialist finds the cause of the anemia, you can proceed to treatment. Deficiency anemias are combated by changing the diet or supplementing it. In the case of anemia caused by external factors, it is necessary to eliminate them. It is much more difficult to treat congenital anemia. The usual treatment is to relieve symptoms, such as blood transfusion. In some cases, bone marrow transplantation can be performed. In congenital spherocytosis, the spleen is usually removed. photo: Shutterstock