Learn About Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues.
Different types of anemia include:
- Anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency
- Anemia due to folate (folic acid) deficiency
- Anemia due to iron deficiency
- Anemia of chronic disease
- Hemolytic anemia
- Idiopathic aplastic anemia
- Megaloblastic anemia
- Pernicious anemia
- Sickle cell anemia
- Thalassemia
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia.
Although many parts of the body help make red blood cells, most of the work is done in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of bones that helps form all blood cells.
Healthy red blood cells last between 90 and 120 days. Parts of your body then remove old blood cells. A hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) made in your kidneys signals your bone marrow to make more red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells. It gives red blood cells their color. People with anemia do not have enough hemoglobin.
The body needs certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to make enough red blood cells. Iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid are three of the most important ones. The body may not have enough of these nutrients due to:
- Changes in the lining of the stomach or intestines that affect how well nutrients are absorbed (for example, celiac disease)
- Poor diet
- Surgery that removes part of the stomach or intestines
Possible causes of anemia include:
- Iron deficiency
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Folate deficiency
- Certain medicines
- Destruction of red blood cells earlier than normal (which may be caused by immune system problems)
- Long-term (chronic) diseases such as chronic kidney disease, cancer, ulcerative colitis, or rheumatoid arthritis
- Some forms of anemia, such as thalassemia or sickle cell anemia, which can be inherited
- Pregnancy
- Problems with bone marrow such as lymphoma, leukemia, myelodysplasia, multiple myeloma, or aplastic anemia
- Slow blood loss (for example, from heavy menstrual periods or stomach ulcers)
- Sudden heavy blood loss
Common conditions include: Aplastic Anemia, Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia, Childhood Iron Deficiency Anemia, Congenital Aplastic Anemia
You may have no symptoms if the anemia is mild or if the problem develops slowly. Symptoms that may occur first include:
- Feeling weak or tired more often than usual, or with exercise
- Headaches
- Problems concentrating or thinking
- Irritability
- Loss of appetite
- Numbness and tingling of hands and feet
If the anemia gets worse, symptoms may include:
- Blue color to the whites of the eyes
- Brittle nails
- Desire to eat ice or other non-food things (pica syndrome)
- Lightheadedness when you stand up
- Pale skin color
- Shortness of breath with mild activity or even at rest
- Sore or inflamed tongue
- Mouth ulcers
- Abnormal or increased menstrual bleeding
Treatment should be directed at the cause of the anemia, and may include:
- Blood transfusions
- Corticosteroids or other medicines that suppress the immune system
- Erythropoietin, a medicine that helps your bone marrow make more blood cells
- Supplements of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, or other vitamins and minerals
Duke Health Integrated Practice Inc
Nirmish Shah is a Pediatrics specialist and a Hematologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Shah is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anemia. His top areas of expertise are Sickle Cell Disease, Congenital Hemolytic Anemia, Hemoglobinopathy, Hemolytic Anemia, and Bone Marrow Transplant. Dr. Shah is currently accepting new patients.
Jefferson Hematology - Honickman Center
Sophie Lanzkron is a Hematologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Lanzkron is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anemia. Her top areas of expertise are Sickle Cell Disease, Hemoglobinopathy, Congenital Hemolytic Anemia, and Hemolytic Anemia. Dr. Lanzkron is currently accepting new patients.
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dr. Robert Brodsky is a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His area of clinical expertise is classical hematology and haploidentical bone marrow transplant for sickle cell disease and aplastic anemia. Dr. Brodsky serves as the director of the Division of Hematology and the T32 Training Program. He is the Johns Hopkins Family Professor of Medicine and Oncology. He received his M.D. from Hahnemann University. He completed his residency at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He performed a fellowship in hematology at the National Institutes of Health and a fellowship in oncology at Johns Hopkins. He joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1997. From 2017 to 2022 he served as Associate Editor to The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI) and Secretary to American Society of Hematology (ASH). He serves as President of The American Society of Hematology (ASH) in 2023. Dr. Brodsky is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Anemia. His top areas of expertise are Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH), Paroxysmal Cold Hemoglobinuria, Anemia, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Splenectomy.
Severe anemia can cause low oxygen levels in vital organs such as the heart, and can lead to heart failure.
Contact your provider if you have any symptoms of anemia or unusual bleeding.
Summary: Background Hematological diseases are disorders of the blood and hematopoietic organs. The current hematological cohorts are mostly based on single-center or multi-center cases, or cohorts with limited sample size in China. There is a lack of comprehensive and large-scale prospective cohort studies in hematology. The purpose of this study is to analyze the incidence and risk factors of major blood...
Summary: Lactoferrin (LF) is a natural iron-binding protein found in milk. It exists either in an iron-free state (apo-LF) or bound to iron (holo-LF). Whether LF binds iron to facilitate its absorption and/or to sequester iron from potential enteropathogens remains uncertain. However, while LF is a promising tool for treating iron deficiency, it is sensitive to heat during food processing and to the acidic...
Published Date: March 31, 2024
Published By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 12-17-2024.
Elghetany MT, Banki K. Erythrocytic disorders. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 33.
Lin JC, Benz Jr. EJ. Approach to anemia in the adult and child. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 35.
Means Jr. RT. Approach to the anemias. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 144.