Anemia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

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Anemia is the most common blood disorder in the United States, affecting more than 3 million Americans and nearly 3 billion people worldwide in 2021. While anemia is preventable and treatable, it can cause serious health issues in more severe cases.

What Is Anemia?

Anemia occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to the organs. As a result, your body won’t get enough oxygen, which can cause a number of symptoms.

There are many different types of anemia, each with different causes. The most common type of anemia is iron deficiency anemia. You get iron from your food, such as meat, seafood, and fortified food products. Iron helps make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Your body can't make enough hemoglobin when you don’t get enough iron.

Certain events might cause you to need more red blood cells than usual, such as pregnancy, blood loss, or growth spurts. Heavy periods (menorrhagia) can also cause you to lose more blood and red blood cells than your body can keep up with. This can make it more difficult for the hemoglobin to carry oxygen throughout the body.

Other common types of anemia include:

Pernicious anemia—Your body doesn’t make enough red blood cells because it can’t absorb enough vitamin B12 from food. Vitamin B12 helps make healthy red blood cells.
Aplastic anemia—A rare but serious form of anemia that occurs when your bone marrow cannot make enough new blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets).
Hemolytic anemia—Red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be replaced, making it difficult for your body to get enough oxygen.
Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia—Your body can’t make enough red blood cells because it doesn’t have enough vitamin B12. You may be vitamin B12 deficient if you are unable to absorb it due to gut problems or if you have pernicious anemia.

What Are the Symptoms of Anemia?

If your body has a lower-than-normal amount of healthy red blood cells and you cannot get enough oxygen, you may experience various symptoms. Some of the symptoms of anemia include:

Tiredness
Weakness
Shortness of breath
Headaches
Dizziness
Yellowish or pale skin
Excessive thirst
Heart-related symptoms such as abnormal heart rhythms or heart murmur

If you have severe or worsening anemia, you might experience symptoms such as:

Pica (desire to eat non-food items)
Ulcers in the mouth
Orthostatic hypotension (a form of low blood pressure that causes lightheadedness when you stand up)
Abnormal menstruation

What Treatments Are Available for Anemia?

Treatment for anemia depends on the underlying cause and how severe it is. If you have mild anemia, you might not have any symptoms that require treatment. But if you have symptoms such as unexplained shortness of breath or fatigue, you should talk to your doctor to determine the cause and find out how to treat it.

If you have iron deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, it can help to make some changes to your diet. Iron-rich foods include:

Meat such as beef, lamb, turkey, chicken, and pork
Seafood such as shrimp, scallops, tuna, and clams
Vegetables such as spinach, collards, kale, and sweet potatoes
Beans, such as kidney or garbanzo beans
Lentils
Enriched pasta or white bread
Cream of Wheat
Bran cereals

Iron and vitamin B12 supplements are also available in pill or liquid forms. Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements. Although they are generally safe, too much iron or vitamin B12 can cause side effects.

You might need a blood transfusion if you have a more severe case of anemia. During a transfusion, an intravenous (IV) line is inserted into one of your blood vessels. This helps replace blood that has been lost through injury or surgery and provides blood if your body is unable to make it properly. Your doctor might suggest a transfusion if you have serious complications from your anemia.

When anemia is caused by a chronic disease, such as chronic kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune diseases, treating the underlying cause can help relieve the symptoms of anemia.

Understanding the causes and symptoms of anemia is critical for managing the illness. While most cases of anemia are mild, it can cause serious complications if left untreated. If you think you might have anemia, talk to your doctor to find out what management and treatment options are right for you.