Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues.
Normally, red blood cells last for about 120 days in the body. In hemolytic anemia, red blood cells in the blood are destroyed earlier than normal.
Anemia - hemolytic
The bone marrow is mostly responsible for making new red cells. Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of bones that helps form all blood cells.
Hemolytic anemia occurs when the bone marrow isn't making enough red cells to replace the ones that are being destroyed.
There are several possible causes of hemolytic anemia. Red blood cells may be destroyed due to:
You may not have symptoms if the anemia is mild. If the problem develops slowly, the first symptoms may be:
If the anemia gets worse, symptoms may include:
Treatment depends on the type and cause of the hemolytic anemia:
In rare cases, surgery is needed to take out the spleen. This is because the spleen acts as a filter that removes abnormal cells from the blood.
Nirmish Shah is a Hematologist Oncology specialist and a Pediatrics doctor in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Shah has been practicing medicine for over 22 years and is rated as an Elite doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Hemolytic Anemia. He is also highly rated in 7 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Sickle Cell Disease, Congenital Hemolytic Anemia, Hemoglobinopathy, and Hemolytic Anemia. He is licensed to treat patients in North Carolina. Dr. Shah is currently accepting new patients.
John Strouse is a Hematologist and a Pediatric Hematologist Oncology doctor in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Strouse has been practicing medicine for over 26 years and is rated as an Elite doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Hemolytic Anemia. He is also highly rated in 14 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Sickle Cell Disease, Hemoglobinopathy, Congenital Hemolytic Anemia, and Hemolytic Anemia. He is licensed to treat patients in Maryland. Dr. Strouse is currently accepting new patients.
Russell Ware is a Pediatric Hematologist Oncology specialist and a Pediatrics doctor in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Ware has been practicing medicine for over 31 years and is rated as an Elite doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Hemolytic Anemia. He is also highly rated in 14 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Sickle Cell Disease, Hemoglobinopathy, Congenital Hemolytic Anemia, and Hemolytic Anemia. He is licensed to treat patients in Ohio. Dr. Ware is currently accepting new patients.
Outcome depends on the type and cause of hemolytic anemia. Severe anemia can make heart disease, lung disease, or cerebrovascular disease worse.
Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of hemolytic anemia.
Published Date : February 06, 2020
Published By : Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Gallagher PG. Hemolytic anemias: red blood cell membrane and metabolic defects. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 152.
Kumar V, Abbas AK, Aster JC. Hematopoietic and lymphoid systems. In: Kumar V, Abbas AK, Aster JC, eds. Robbins Basic Pathology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 12.