Symptoms and causes - Anemia

WHAT IS ANEMIA?


Anemia refers to a condition in which the RBC (red blood cell) count or hemoglobin of an individual is lesser than normal.

RBCs in a healthy person compared to an anemic person's RBCs

Now, it would only be logical to ask WHAT this NORMAL limit is. The normal level of hemoglobin is different for different people.

The desirable range is:


Newborns: 17 to 22 gm/100 ml
Babies 1 week of age: 15 to 20 gm/100 ml
Babies 1 month of age: 11 to 15 gm/100 ml
Children: 11 to 13 gm/100 ml
Adult men: 14 to 18 gm/100 ml
Adult women: 12 to 16 gm/100 ml
Men after middle age: 12.4 to 14.9 gm/100 ml
Women after middle age: 11.7 to 13.8 gm/100 ml


CAUSES OF ANEMIA


The basic cause of anemia is the disruption of the normal life span of a red blood cell. RBCs are formed in the bone marrow and typically, an RBC lives for about 120 days.

Now, anemia can be caused if either of these conditions arises:



New RBCs are not formed at a rate required to replace the dead/ worn out RBCs, or
Existing RBCs get lost or destroyed before the completion of their lifespan.


Causes of anemia

Causes of anemia
Iron deficiency anemia:Hemoglobin (i.e. the oxygen carrying pigment present in our blood) is made up primarily of iron. Tragically enough, almost 3% men, 20% women and 50% pregnant women around the world suffer from an iron deficiency.
The role of hemoglobin
The role of hemoglobin
This IRON DEFICIENCY is the most common cause of anemia.


The main causes of this iron deficiency are:

A diet which is deficient in iron
Poor absorption of the iron present in the diet by the body- we need Vitamin C to help us absorb the iron present in our diet.

Pregnancy
Heavy blood loss due to injury or internal bleeding
Heavy blood loss during periods
If the body does not get the iron required by it in adequate quantities, it will first use up its iron deposits. Once this store has been exhausted, anemia develops. Iron stores of women are usually much smaller than men because of the blood they lose every month to menstruation.


Anemia caused by blood loss:Anemiais usually caused by internal hemorrhages and other conditions of varying intensity. These might include:

Polyps in the colon
Hemorrhoids
Ulcers in the duodenum (a part of the    intestine)
Cancer of the colon, stomach or food pipe

Menorrhagia or abnormally heavy bleeding during periods
Ulcers in the stomach, which could be the result of infections or a side effect of anti-inflammatory medicines. Though such medicines can cause SOME blood loss, the loss thus caused is usually not severe enough to cause anemia.
Pernicious anemia:This refers to anemia caused due to the inability of the body to absorb Vitamin B12 from the intestines. Risk factors of pernicious anemiainclude:
Addiction to alcohol
Strict vegetarianism, especially if vegetarian diet is deficient in vitamins
Abnormal functioning of intestines or stomach due to which body is unable to absorb the vitamin B12 from the diet inspite of adequate intake
Hemolytic anemia: This refers to anemia caused due to hemolysis or premature destruction of RBCs. Hemolytic anemia can be inherited or acquired. Causes of such anemia can be quite simple at some times but can be life threateningly serious as well.
Other causes:Apart from the causes listed above, anemiacan be caused by many other reasons like:

Infections of the bone marrow (the sites of RBC production)
Cancers of the bone marrow like leukemia or multiple myeloma
Chemotherapy treatment for cancer- it damages the bone marrow and slows down the rate of RBC production, leading to anemia
Kidney failure patients who may, at times, lack the hormone required to stimulate the bone marrow to produce RBCs
Addiction to alcohol or excessive intake of alcohol
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
In our next post, we will talk at length about the symptoms associated with anemia, so that you can diagnose yourself and know whether you are anemic. After all, knowing your problems better is the first step towards finding a solution for them.