Hematological diseases: anemia, leukemia, thalassemia, haemophilia, anemia, thrombophilia, hemorrhagic diathesis

Anemia is actually a group of diseases characterized by a reduced value of hemoglobin or erythrocytes. In most cases the symptoms will include weakness, pale skin, and sleepiness. In case of disturbing symptoms, it is enough to do a blood count. Further diagnosis will find the cause of the anemia so that effective treatment can be instituted.

As the name suggests, we speak of hyperemia when there is too much red blood cell concentration in the blood. A characteristic symptom of hyperaemia is a reddish discoloration of the skin and congestion of the mucous membranes and eyes. Usually the disease develops as a result of prolonged hypoxia – e.g. in lung diseases.

Haemophilia is a disease in which the production of one of the blood clotting factors is disturbed. As a result, a clot does not form properly when you are injured. People with haemophilia often experience bruising and haematuria. At the time of injury, there is a significant blood loss. The disease is incurable, but some types of hemophilia can supplement with missing clotting factors.

Leukemias are malignant neoplasms of the haematopoietic system. In their course, qualitative and quantitative disorders of blood cells appear. The first alarm signal should be abnormal blood counts. Bone marrow biopsy is essential in the diagnosis of leukemia. Treatment usually consists of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

Thalassemia is a disorder in the production of hemoglobin. As a result, the resulting molecules are not fully functional. How severe the disease is depends on the type of mutation that causes it. It is sometimes called “Mediterranean Anemia” because it is especially common in people living in Mediterranean countries.

We speak of a hemorrhagic diathesis when the tissues show an increased bleeding tendency. Their background can be very different – plaque diathesis is the result of a deficiency of thrombocytes, and plasma diathesis may be related, for example, to a deficiency of vitamin K.

Thrombophilia, like hemophilia, is a blood clotting disorder. However, its effect is the opposite – clots are formed more often, also inside the vessels. Usually, thrombophilia is genetic, but smoking also increases the risk of developing it.