What Is Anemia?
Anemia is when the blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the main part of red blood cells that binds them with oxygen. If there are too few or abnormal red blood cells, or hemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in the body don’t receive enough oxygen—which results in fatigue and the organs in the body don’t get enough oxygen to function adequately.
Anemia is a one of the most common blood condition in the U.S. that affects 3.5 Americans, especially women, young children, and people with chronic diseases. The most important factors are certain forms of anemia are heredity with infants affect at birth. Women in childbearing years are susceptible to iron-deficiency anemia due to blood loss from menstruation and an increased blood supply from the demands of pregnancy. Older adults are at great risk due to poor diet and other medical conditions.
There are different types of anemia, each with different causes and treatments: Iron-deficiency—the most common type, which is treatable with a good diet and iron supplements. Some forms of anemia can be normal, especially anemia that develops during pregnancy. Others may results in lifelong health problems.
Causes
There are nearly 400 types that are divided into 3 groups: Anemia from blood loss, Anemia from decreased or faulty red blood cell production, and Anemia from destruction of red blood cells.
Anemia Caused by Blood Loss
Red blood cells that are lost through bleeding occur slowly over a long time and often go undetected. Chronic bleeding results in the following: Gastrointestinal conditions like ulcers, hemorrhoids, gastritis (inflammation of stomach), and cancer; use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAiDS) like aspirin and ibuprofen, which cause ulcers and gastritis; and menstruation and childbirth in women where menstrual bleeding is excessive and there have been multiple pregnancies.
Anemia Caused by Decreased or Faulty Red Blood Cell Production
If the body produces too few blood cells, the blood cells do not function right. Red blood cells that are faulty or decreased due to abnormal red blood cells due to a lack of minerals and vitamins, which are needed to make red blood cells work properly. These conditions are associated with Sickle Cell Anemia, Iron-Deficiency Anemia, Vitamin Deficiency, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Problems, as well as other health problems.
Sickle Cell Anemia is usually an inherited condition within the U.S. that typically affects African-Americans and Hispanic Americans. The red blood cells are crescent-shaped due to the genetic defect. The break down rapidly which results from oxygen that doesn’t get to the body’s organs. Also, the crescent-shaped red blood cells get stuck in the tiny blood vessels which causes pain.
Iron-Deficient Anemia results when the body lacks mineral iron. The bone marrow in the center of the bone needs iron in order to make hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen to the organs. If there is not enough iron, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin, resulting in the red blood cells iron-deficiency. This is usually caused by an iron-poor diet, especially infants, children, teens, vegans, and vegetarians; the metabolic demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding that depletes a woman’s iron stores; menstruation; frequent blood donation; endurance training; digestive conditions like Crohn’s disease, surgical removal part of stomach or small intestine; or certain drugs, foods, caffeinated drinks.
Vitamin-Deficiency Anemia is when Vitamin B12 and Folate are deficient, which is needed to make red blood cells. Conditions that may lead to this are metabolic anemia when vitamin B12 or Folate or both are deficient.
Pernicious Anemia is a poor Vitamin B12 absorption which is caused by Crohn’s Disease, intestinal parasite infections, surgical removal part of the stomach or intestine, or infection due to HIV.
Dietary Deficiency is due to eating little or no meat causes a lack in Vitamin B12, overcooking or eating too few vegetables causes a folate deficiency.
Other causes are pregnancy, certain medications, alcohol abuse, intestinal disease like tropical sprue and celiac disease.
Pregnancy that is sufficient in folic acid prevents the fetus from developing neural tube effects like spina bifida.
Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Problems also prevent the body from producing enough red blood cells. Stem blood cells develop red blood cells—if the stem cells are too few, they become defective or are replaced by other cells, like metastic cancer cells, anemia can result. Anemia form bone marrow and stem cell problems include Aplastic Anemia, which is a reduction in stem cells or an absence of cells, usually inherited and occur without cause, or bone marrow is injured by medication, radiation, chemotherapy, or some other infection. Thalassemia is when the red blood cells can’t mature or grow properly. It is usually an inherited condition that affects mainly people of Mediterranean, African, Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian descent. It ranges in severity from mild to life-threatening, like the severe form called Cooley’s Anemia.
Lead Exposure, which is toxic to bone marrow, producing fewer red blood cells, usually occurs in adults due to work-related exposure or children that eat paint chips. Improperly glazed pottery can also taint food or liquids with lead.
Anemia associated to other conditions are caused by too few hormones which are needed for red blood cell production. These conditions are advanced kidney disease, hypothyroidism, other chronic diseases like cancer, infection, lupus, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, and old age.
Anemia Caused by Destruction of Red Blood Cells
Anemia due to the destruction of red blood cells results when the red blood cells are fragile or cannot withstand the routine stress from the circulatory system, they rupture prematurely, or cause hemolytic anemia. Hemolyptic anemia is usually birth or develop later with little or no known cause. Some known causes are inherited conditions like Sickle Cell Anemia or Thalassemia; stressors like infections, drugs, snake and spider venom, and certain foods; toxins like advanced liver or kidney disease; inappropriate attack by the immune system like chemolytic disease present in newborns that occurs in the fetus of a pregnant woman; vascular grafts, prosthetic heart valves, tumors, severe burns, exposure to certain chemicals, severe hypertension, and clotting disorders; and in rare cases, and enlarged spleen that traps red blood cells and destroys them before their circulating time is up.
References
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