What is anemia?

Question

What does it do to you? How do you get it? I am 12.

Answer 1

if you are anemic you don't have enough iron in your blood. usually taking a multivitamin with iron, or an iron supplement will help you. usually if you are anemic, you bruise easily and are tired/fatigued often. often girls who start their menstrual cycles become anemic. it isn't a serious disoder, so it's nothing to worry or stress about.

Answer 2

It is the main component of red blood cells is the protein hemoglobin. which combines with oxygen in the lungs and carries it through out your body, and releases it to those tissues that require it. Anemia is defined as a decrease in either hemoglobin or the number of red blood cells to below the normal level. Iron is an essential ingredient in hemoglobin. If you do not have enough iron in your body, you cannot make enough hemoblobin. this form of anemia is called iron deficiency anemia. A sever shortage of vitamin B 12 in your body also affects the production of red blood cellls. This is call B `12 deficiency anemia. lack of folic acid has the same effect and this is called folic acid deficiency..

Answer 3

Anemia, one of the more common blood disorders, occurs when the level of healthy red blood cells (RBCs) in the body becomes too low. This can lead to health problems because RBCs contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body's tissues. Anemia can cause a variety of complications, including fatigue and stress on bodily organs.

Anemia can be caused by many things, but the three main bodily mechanisms that produce it are:

excessive destruction of RBCs
blood loss
inadequate production of RBCs
Among many other causes, anemia can result from inherited disorders, nutritional problems (such as an iron or vitamin deficiency), infections, some kinds of cancer, or exposure to a drug or toxin.

Answer 4

Anemia happens when you have a deficiency of red blood cells. It literally means "without blood."

"This results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissues, causing hypoxia; since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences. 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 classes of anemia include excessive blood loss (acutely such as a hemorrhage or chronically through low-volume loss), excessive blood cell destruction (hemolysis) or deficient red blood cell production (ineffective hematopoiesis). In menstruating women, dietary iron deficiency is a common cause of deficient red blood cell production."

The way to treat anemia is to increase the iron, so more red blood cells can be formed, increase the blood supply, or find out what is causing the reduction in your red blood cell count.

"There are many different treatments for anemia, including increasing dietary intake of readily available iron and iron supplementation; the treatment is determined by the type of anemia that is diagnosed.

If an increase in dietary intake is prescribed, then additionally increasing one's intake of Vitamin C may aid in the body's ability to absorb iron.

In anemia of chronic disease, anemia associated with chemotherapy, or anemia associated with renal disease, some clinicians prescribe a recombinant protein version of erythropoietin, epoetin alfa, to stimulate red blood cell production.

In severe cases of anemia, a blood transfusion may be necessary."

Anemia is a common condition in vegetarians because they don't get enough iron in their diet unless they eat a lot of leafy vegetables or take iron supplements.

Answer 5

Red blood cell count drops too low. It can make you lethargic, sick, even kill you if allowed to continue.

It can be rooted in a number of things - poor diet, unhealthy menstrual cycles, disease, internal bleeding from injury or surgery, cancers....the list goes on and on.

If you have it, you need to see a doctor to identify the cause. They may prescribe Procrit or similar drugs weekly/monthly to bring your red blood cell count back up. If it's truly too too low then they may recommend a transfusion. Treatment will depend upon the source and severity of the problem, but it's definitely not something to just allow to go on and on. Anemia in varying and mild degrees can be common, but you really need to know what's going on....

Answer 6

anemia has to do with the iron levels in your blood it affects your clotting ability and the color of your blood it is treated with supplements. Go tot a doc to find out if you have it. You get it genetically of with a bad diet

Answer 7

Disorder of the oxygen carrying capability of red blood cells. There are several different types. Most common is iron deficency. Try taking iron suppliments or eating more red meat.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

, one of the more common blood disorders, occurs when the level of healthy red blood cells (RBCs) in the body becomes too low. This can lead to health problems because RBCs contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body's tissues. Anemia can cause a variety of complications, including fatigue and stress on bodily organs.

Anemia can be caused by many things, but the three main bodily mechanisms that produce it are:

excessive destruction of RBCs
blood loss
inadequate production of RBCs
Among many other causes, anemia can result from inherited disorders, nutritional problems (such as an iron or vitamin deficiency), infections, some kinds of cancer, or exposure to a drug or toxin.

Anemia Caused by Destruction of RBCs
Hemolytic ("hemo" means blood, "lytic" means destroying) anemia occurs when red blood cells are being destroyed prematurely. (Normally, the lifespan of RBCs is 120 days. In hemolytic anemia, they have a much shorter lifespan.) And the bone marrow (the soft, spongy tissue inside bones that makes new blood cells) simply can't keep up with the body's demand for new cells. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, infections or certain medications - such as antibiotics or antiseizure medicines - are to blame.

In a condition known as autoimmune hemolytic anemia, the immune system mistakes RBCs for foreign invaders and begins destroying them. Other children inherit defects in the red blood cells that lead to anemia. Common forms of inherited hemolytic anemia include sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Sickle cell anemia is a severe form of anemia found most commonly in people of African heritage, although it can affect those of Caucasian, Saudi Arabian, Indian, and Mediterranean descent. In this condition, the hemoglobin forms long rods when it gives up its oxygen, stretching red blood cells into abnormal sickle shapes. This leads to premature destruction of RBCs, chronically low levels of hemoglobin, and recurring episodes of pain, as well as problems that can affect virtually every other organ system in the body. About 1 out of every 625 African-American children is born with this form of anemia.
Thalassemia, which usually affects people of Mediterranean, African, and Southeast Asian descent, is marked by abnormal and short-lived RBCs. Thalassemia major, also called Cooley's anemia, is a severe form of anemia in which RBCs are rapidly destroyed and iron is deposited in the skin and vital organs. Thalassemia minor involves only mild anemia and minimal red blood cell changes.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency most commonly affects men of African heritage, although it has been found in many other groups of people. With this condition the RBCs either do not make enough of the enzyme G6PD or the enzyme that is produced is abnormal and doesn't work well. When someone born with this deficiency has an infection, takes certain medicines, or is exposed to specific substances, the body's RBCs suffer extra stress. Without adequate G6PD to protect them, many red blood cells are destroyed prematurely.
Anemia Caused by Blood Loss
Blood loss can also cause anemia - whether it's because of excessive bleeding due to injury, surgery, or a problem with the blood's clotting ability. Slower, long-term blood loss, such as intestinal bleeding from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can also cause anemia. Anemia sometimes results from heavy menstrual periods in teen girls and women. Any of these factors will also increase the body's need for iron because iron is needed to make new RBCs.

Anemia Caused by Inadequate Production of RBCs
Aplastic anemia occurs when the bone marrow can't make enough RBCs. This can be due to a viral infection, or exposure to certain toxic chemicals, radiation, or medications (such as antibiotics, antiseizure drugs, or cancer treatments). Some childhood cancers can also cause aplastic anemia, as can certain chronic diseases that affect the ability of the bone marrow to make blood cells.

High levels of hemoglobin and RBCs help fetal blood carry enough oxygen to developing babies in the relatively oxygen-poor environment in utero. Thus, infants are born with some protection from iron deficiency. After the child is born, more oxygen is available and the baby's hemoglobin level normally drops to a low point at about 2 months of age, a condition known as physiologic anemia of infancy. This temporary and expected drop in the blood count is considered normal and no treatment is required because the infant's body soon starts making red blood cells on its own.

Anemia also occurs when the body isn't able to produce enough healthy RBCs because of an iron deficiency. Iron is essential to hemoglobin production. Poor dietary iron intake (or excessive loss of iron from the body) can lead to iron deficiency anemia, the most common cause of anemia in children. Iron deficiency anemia can affect children at any age, but is most commonly seen in those younger than 2 years old.

Girls going through puberty also have a particularly high risk for iron deficiency anemia because of the onset of menstruation; the monthly blood loss increases the amount of iron they need to consume in their diets.

Signs and Symptoms of Anemia
If your child has anemia, the first symptoms might be mild skin paleness, and decreased pinkness of the lips and nailbeds. These changes happen gradually, though, so they may be difficult to notice. Other common signs of anemia include:

irritability
fatigue
dizziness, lightheadedness, and a rapid heartbeat
Depending on what's causing the anemia, symptoms may also include jaundice (yellow-tinged skin), a yellowing of the whites of the eyes, an enlarged spleen, and dark tea-colored urine. In infants and preschool children, iron deficiency anemia can result in developmental delays and behavioral disturbances, such as decreased motor activity and problems with social interaction and attention to tasks. Recent research indicates that developmental problems may persist into and beyond school age if the iron deficiency is not properly treated.

Diagnosing Anemia
In many cases, doctors don't diagnose anemia until they run blood tests as part of a routine physical examination. A complete blood count (CBC) may indicate that there are fewer red blood cells than normal. Other diagnostic tests may include:

Blood smear examination: Blood is smeared on a glass slide for microscopic examination of RBCs, which can sometimes indicate the cause of the anemia.
Iron tests: These include total serum iron and ferritin tests, which can help to determine whether anemia is due to iron deficiency.
Hemoglobin electrophoresis: Used to identify various abnormal hemoglobins in the blood and to diagnose sickle cell anemia, the thalassemias, and other inherited forms of anemia.
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: This test can help determine whether cell production is happening normally in the bone marrow. It's the only way to diagnose aplastic anemia definitively and is also used if a disease affecting the bone marrow (such as leukemia) is a suspected cause of the anemia.
Reticulocyte count: A measure of young RBCs, this helps to determine if production of red blood cells is at normal levels.
In addition to running these tests, your child's doctor may ask about a family history of anemia and your child's symptoms and medications. This may lead the doctor to perform other tests to look for specific diseases that might be causing the anemia.

Treating Anemia
Treatment for anemia depends on its cause. It's important not to assume that any symptoms your child may be having are due to iron deficiency. Be sure to have your child checked by a doctor.

If your child does have iron deficiency anemia, the doctor may prescribe medication as drops (for infants) or as a liquid or tablet (for older children), and also may recommend adding certain iron-rich foods to your child's diet.

If your teenage daughter is anemic and has heavy or irregular menstrual periods, in some cases her doctor may prescribe a birth control pill to help regulate the bleeding.

Folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements may be prescribed if the anemia is traced to a deficiency of these nutrients, although this is rare in children.

If a certain medication appears to be the cause, your child's doctor may discontinue it or replace it with something else - unless the benefit of the drug outweighs this side effect.

Anemia caused by an infection will usually improve when the infection passes or is treated.

Depending on the cause, treatment for more severe or chronic forms of anemia may include:

transfusions of normal red blood cells taken from a donor
removal of the spleen or treatment with medications to prevent blood cells from being removed from circulation or destroyed too rapidly
medications to fight infection or stimulate the bone marrow to make more blood cells
Bone marrow transplantation may be considered in some cases of sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and aplastic anemia. This procedure involves taking bone marrow cells from a donor and injecting them into the child's vein; the donated cells then travel through the bloodstream to the child's bone marrow, where they begin producing new blood cells.