Anemia

If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Your iron might be too low because of heavy periods, pregnancy, ulcers, colon polyps, colon cancer, inherited disorders or a diet that does not have enough iron. You can also get anemia from not getting enough folic acid or vitamin B 12. Blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, or cancer may also lead to anemia.

Anemia can make you feel weak, cold, dizzy and irritable. It is confirmed with a blood test. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Anemia on Wikipedia

'''Anemia''' (American English) or '''anaemia''' (Commonwealth English), which literally means "without blood," is a lack of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. This results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissue (biology). Hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein in the red blood cells) has to be present to ensure adequate oxygenation of all body tissues and organs. The three main causes of anemia include excessive blood loss (hemorrhage), excessive red blood cell destruction (hemolysis) or deficient red blood cell production. Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. There are several kinds of anemia, produced by a variety of underlying causes. Anemia is classified according to the size of the red blood cell: decreased (''microcytic''), normal (''normocytic'') or enlarged (''macrocytic'' or ''megaloblastic'').

Signs and symptoms

Anemia goes undetected in many people, and symptoms can be vague. Most commonly, a feeling of weakness or fatigue is reported. Shortness of breath is reported in more severe cases. Very severe anemia prompts a compensatory response where cardiac output is markedly increased, leading to palpitations and sweatiness; this process can lead to heart failure in elderly people. Pallor (pale skin and mucosal linings) is only notable in cases of severe anemia, and is therefore not a reliable sign.

Diagnosis

The only way to diagnose anemia is with a blood test. Generally, a full blood count is done. Apart from reporting the amount of red blood cells and the hemoglobin level, the Automated analyser also measure the size of the red blood cells, which is an important tool in distinguishing between the causes. Occasionally, other tests are required to further distinguish the cause for anemia. These are discussed with the differential diagnosis (below). The doctor may also decide to take some other screening blood ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

Anemia - Band from Rochester, NY whose site features pictures and MP3s.

Human Gene Testing - Article by Drs. Stuart Orkin and Gary Felsenfeld describing how basic research led to genetic testing, including how the discoveries of DNA, restriction enzymes, cloning, & PCR (polymerase chain reaction) make tests for diseases like sickle-cell anemia and breast cancer possible.

Molecular Genetics Testing Laboratory: Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Disease Screen - Information about a test for seven common inherited diseases in the Ashkenazi Jewish population: Tay-Sachs disease, Canavan disease, cystic fibrosis, Gaucher disease, Bloom syndrome, familial dysautonomia and Fanconi anemia.

Carolina Wren Press - Nonprofit publisher whose Lollipop Power Books specialize in multicultural, bilingual, nonsexist, and nontraditional children's books. Publishes Puzzles, the story of a ten-year-old girl with sickle cell anemia.

Janssen-Ortho, Inc. - Canadian pharmaceutical company that develops drugs in the following therapeutic areas: mental wellness, anemia and fatigue, women's health, digestive disorders, kidney disease, infectious diseases and wound healing.

Schein Pharmaceutical, Inc. - The Company's brand products group has developed an expertise in the management of anemia in nephrology, and is looking to expand this expertise to iron management. In addition, the Company develops, manufactures and markets a broad generic product line including both solid and sterile dosage products.

Graphic Momentum - Offers backgrounds, textures, dividers, and GIFs. Web site design, custom graphics, and photo restoration, a large portion of proceeds are donated to The Fanconi Anemia Research Fund.

Katelyn Rose Hubbell - Dedicated to a young lady's battle to survive aplastic anemia and lymphoma.

Fatigue and Anemia - Information resources on HIV/AIDS related fatigue from TheBody.com.

Cynthia's Medical Websites - This page is links to various websites I created on a variety of auto immune conditions from Asthma to Lupus, to Pernicious Anemia.

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