Anemia

 Anemia is a disorder of the blood which lead to reduction in Red blood cell count and hemoglobin content.

There are different types of anemia, and this anemia could either be caused by inherited disorder or environmental influences such as exposure to drugs.


            Types of anemia


     1. Nutrition deficiency anemia: This could be caused by deficiency in a nutritive substance that is necessary for development of Red Blood Cell. Some examples of nutrition deficiency anemia is : - Iron deficiency anemia: this is caused by inadequate availability of iron which is required for hemoglobin synthesis. This type of anemia is most common and it is characterized by brittle hair, dysphasia ( difficulty in swallowing)

  • Pernicious anemia: this type of anemia is as a result of deficiency in vitamin B12 as a result of this deficiency the Red Blood Cells are immature and large. It usually occurs in old age and can lead to progressive weakness of the muscle and yellow coloring of skin
  • Aplastic anemia: this is due to disorder of bone marrow . For example, exposure to high-dose radiation or chemotherapy for cancer treatment can damage stem cells of the bone marrow, followed in a few weeks by anemia. Likewise, high doses of certain toxic chemicals, such as insecticides or benzene in gasoline, may cause the same effect.  People with severe aplastic anemia usually die unless they are treated with blood transfusions which can temporarily increase the numbers of RBCs or by bone marrow transplantation.
     2. Hemorrhagic anemia: this is as a result of excessive loss of blood which can be as a result of accident or as a result of internal or external bleeding over a long period of time.

    3.  Sickle cell anemia: This is an autosomal recessive disorder of hemoglobin in which the individual has the SS trait or sickle cell disease. It is common in Africa. People with this disorder often experience crisis which is as a result of low oxygen tension in the tissue.

                   Symptoms of Anemia 

Anemia symptoms depend on the cause and how bad the anemia is 


Possible symptoms of anemia include:

  • Tiredness.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Pale or yellowish skin, which might be more obvious on white skin than on Black or brown skin.
  • Chest pain 
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Irregular heartbeat 
  • Headaches.

 

 Make sure you see a doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms.

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