TYPES OF ANAEMIA There are several types and classifications of anaemia.

This is a condition in which the body lacks the amount of red blood cells to keep up with the bodys demand for oxygen. Understanding the different classifications can help to recognise the symptoms and also to avoid anaemia in the first place Iron deficiency anaemia Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition in which the body has too little iron in the bloodstream. This form of anaemia is more common in adolescents and in women before menopause. Blood loss from heavy periods, internal bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, or donating too much blood can all contribute to this disease. Other causes can be from poor dietary habits or from chronic intestinal diseases. The signs and symptoms of this disease are: 1. Paleness 2. Headache 3. Irritability Symptoms of more severe iron deficiency anaemia include: 1. Dyspnea 2. Rapid heartbeat 3. Brittle hair and nails Treatment usually takes the form of oral iron supplements and dietary modifications. Folic Acid Deficiency Anaemia This form of anaemia is characterised by a lack of folic acid, one of the B group of vitamins, in the bloodstream. This is usually caused by an inadequate intake of folic acid, usually found in vegetables or by the overcooking of the vegetables. Alcoholism can also be a contributing factor in this form of anaemia. During pregnancy when the folic acid is used more or in infancy, this disease can also manifest itself. It can also be caused as a side effect of other blood disorders. Symptoms of the disorder include: 1. Weakness 2. Fatigue 3. Memory lapses 4. Irritability This condition can be avoided by including foods with folic acid in the diet. Such foods include beef liver, asparagus, and red beans. Pernicious anaemia

Pernicious anaemia usually affects people between the ages of 50 and 60 and is a result of a lack of vitamin B12. The disease can be hereditary but some forms of the condition can be autoimmune diseases. People who have any autoimmune diseases are more likely to contract pernicious anaemia. Symptoms of this form of anaemia may include: 1. Fatigue 2. Dyspnea 3. Heart palpitations 4. Numbness or tingling in extremities Aplastic anaemia Aplastic anaemia is caused by an absence or reduction of red blood cells. This can happen through injury where the blood forming tissue in the bone marrow is destroyed. Because of this, the sufferer is unable to fight infection and is likely to be a heavy bleeder. Symptoms include: 1. Lethargy 2. Paleness 3. Purpura 4. Bleeding 5. Rapid heartbeat 6. Infections 7. Congestive heart failure There is no definite known cause for aplastic anaemia but it is thought to be caused by exposure to certain toxins and also to the hepatitis virus. Sickle Cell Anaemia This form of anaemia is of a hereditary nature and is a result of an abnormal type of red blood cells. Sickle cell anaemia is a life threatening disease and there is no prevention. Symptoms of this condition include: 1. Painful attacks in arms, legs and stomach 2. Jaundice in whites of the eyes 3. Fever 4. Chronic fatigue 5. Rapid heartbeat 6. Paleness Complications include leg ulcers, shock, cerebral hemorrhage, and orthopedic disorders. Polycythemia Vera

This disease is more common in middle aged men and is characterised by an increase in red blood cells, leucocytes, and thrombocytes. There is a very fast and intense reproduction of cells and the bone marrow cells mature more rapidly than usual. The cause of this condition is unknown. Symptoms are: 1. Purplish coloured skin 2. Bloodshot eyes 3. Headache 4. Dizziness 5. Enlarged spleen Although the signs and symptoms of anaemia may seem overwhelming, the good news is that most forms can be effectively controlled with medication and dietary changes.
Anemia Causes
Many medical conditions cause anemia. Common causes of anemia include the following: Anemia from active bleeding: Loss of blood through heavy menstrual bleeding or, wounds can cause anemia. Gastrointestinal ulcers or cancers such as cancer of the colon may slowly ooze blood and can also cause anemia. Iron deficiency anemia: The bone marrow needs iron to make red blood cells. Iron plays an important role in the proper structure of the hemoglobin molecule. If iron intake is limited or inadequate due to poor dietary intake, anemia may occur as a result. This is called iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia can also occur when there are stomach ulcers or other sources of slow, chronic bleeding (colon cancer, uterine cancer, intestinal polyps, hemorrhoids, etc). In these kinds of scenarios, because of ongoing, chronic slow blood loss, iron is also lost from the body (as a part of blood) at a higher rate than normal and can result in iron deficiency anemia. Anemia of chronic disease: Any long-term medical condition can lead to anemia. The exact mechanism of this process in unknown, but any long-standing and ongoing medical condition such as a chronic infection or a cancer may cause this type of anemia. Anemia related to kidney disease: The kidneys release a hormone called the erythropoietin that helps the bone marrow make red blood cells. In people with chronic (long-standing) kidney disease, the production of this hormone is diminished, and this in turn diminishes the production of red blood cells, causing anemia. This is called anemia related to chronic kidney disease. Anemia related to pregnancy: Water weight gain during pregnancy dilutes the blood, which may be reflected as anemia. Anemia related to poor nutrition: Vitamins and minerals are required to make red blood cells. In addition to iron, vitamin B12 and folate are required for the proper production of hemoglobin. Deficiency in any of these may cause anemia because of inadequate production of red blood cells. Poor dietary intake is an important cause of low folate and low vitamin B12 levels. Strict vegetarians who do not take sufficient vitamins are at risk to develop vitamin B12 deficiency. Pernicious Anemia: There also may be a problem in the stomach or the intestines leading to poor absorption of vitamin B12. This may lead to anemia because of vitamin B12 deficiency known as pernicious anemia. Sickle cell anemia: In some individuals, the problem may be related to production of abnormal hemoglobin molecules. In this condition the hemoglobin problem is qualitative, or functional. Abnormal hemoglobin molecules may cause problems in the integrity of the red blood cell structure and they may become crescent-shaped (sickle cells). There are different types of sickle call anemia with different severity levels. This is typically hereditary and is more common in those of African, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean ancestry.

Thalassemia: This is another group of hemoglobin-related causes of anemia. There are many types of thalassemia, which vary in severity from mild (thalassemia minor) to severe (thalassemia major). These are also hereditary, but they cause quantitative hemoglobin abnormalities, meaning an insufficient amount of the correct hemoglobin type molecules is made. Thalassemia is more common in people from African, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian ancestries. Alcoholism: Poor nutrition and deficiencies of vitamins and minerals are associated with alcoholism. Alcohol itself may also be toxic to the bone marrow and may slow down the red blood cell production. The combination of these factors may lead to anemia in alcoholics. Bone marrow-related anemia: Anemia may be related to diseases involving the bone marrow. Some blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphomas can alter the production of red blood cells and result in anemia. Other processes may be related to a cancer from another organ spreading to the bone marrow. Aplastic anemia: Occasionally some viral infections may severely affect the bone marrow and significantly diminish production of all blood cells. Chemotherapy (cancer medications) and some other medications may pose the same problems. Hemolytic anemia: The normal red blood cell shape is important for its function. Hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia in which the red blood cells rupture (known as hemolysis) and become dysfunctional. This could happen due to a variety of reasons. Some forms of hemolytic anemia can be hereditary with constant destruction and rapid reproduction of red blood cells (for example, as in hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or G6GD deficiency) . This type of destruction may also happen to normal red blood cells in certain conditions, for example, with abnormal heart valves damaging the blood cells or certain medications that disrupt the red blood cell structure. Anemia related to medications: Many common medications can occasionally cause anemia as a side effect in some individuals. The mechanisms by which medications can cause anemia are numerous (hemolysis, bone marrow toxicity) and are specific to the medication. Medications that most frequently cause anemia are chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancers. Other common medications that can cause anemia include some seizure medications, transplant medications, HIV medications, some malaria medications, some antibiotics (penicillin, chloramphenicol), antifungal medications, and antihistamines. Other less common causes of anemia includethyroid problems, cancers, liver disease, autoimmune diseases (lupus), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH),lead poisoning, AIDS, malaria, viral hepatitis,mononucleosis, parasitic infections (hookworm), bleeding disorders, and insecticide exposure. It is noteworthy that there are many other potential causes of anemia that are not included in this list as these are only some of the more common and important ones.

Anemia Symptoms
Because a low red blood cell count decreases oxygen delivery to every tissue in the body, anemia may cause a variety of signs and symptoms. It can also make almost any other underlying medical condition worse. If anemia is mild, it may not cause any symptoms. If anemia is slowly ongoing (chronic), the body may adapt and compensate for the change; in this case there may not be any symptoms until the anemia becomes more severe. Symptoms of anemia may include the following: Fatigue decreased energy weakness shortness of breath lightheadedness palpitations (feeling of the heart racing or beating irregularly) looking pale

Symptoms of severe anemia may include: chest pain, angina, or heart attack dizziness fainting or passing out rapid heart rate Some of the signs that may indicate anemia in an individual may include: Change in stool color, including black and tarry stools (sticky and foul smelling), maroon-colored, or visibly bloody stools if the anemia is due to blood loss through the gastrointestinal tract. rapid heart rate low blood pressure rapid breathing pale or cold skin yellow skin called jaundice if anemia is due to red blood cell breakdown heart murmur enlargement of the spleen with certain causes of anemia