What is anemia?
Anemia is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the condition in which the hemoglobin content or the number of red blood cells in the blood is below normal.
That is, this condition occurs when one or more levels of the parameters referring to red blood cells (also called erythrocytes or red blood cells) present in the blood are below the value considered normal for that individual, taking into account sex, age or circumstance.
What are the causes of this condition?
Anemias can be caused by deficiency of various nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12, folic acid. However, one of the main causes of anemia is iron deficiency, i.e. iron deficiency in the blood.
Usually, this situation is associated with a diet low in this nutrient, blood loss, such as profuse menstrual losses, but it is also related to a decrease in the absorption of iron by the body.
Other causes of anemia may have to do with:
- lack of vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin A
- heredity
- chronic diseases, such as kidney failure, rheumatologic diseases or hypothyroidism
- infections, such as HIV infection, Herpes virus, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis, tuberculosis
- neoplasms, such as tumors of the stomach, liver, lymphoma, leukemia
- taking any medication that alters the function of the bone marrow
- excessive consumption of alcohol
- Bleeding
Is there more than one type of anemia?
yes. There is more than one type of anemia depending on the cause that originates it. In addition, anemia can be classified as hereditary (caused by genetic mutations that compromise both the production and lifespan of red blood cells) or acquired throughout life.
What are the symptoms of anemia?
The main symptoms of anemia are:
- generalized tiredness and weakness
- exercise intolerance
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing with exertion
- Dizziness
- headaches
- Restless leg syndrome: feeling that the legs have to be moving all the time
When is a person considered to have anemia?
Generally, it is possible to say that a person has anemia when in the laboratory the hemoglobin values are below 12 g/dl in women or 13 g/dl in men.
The World Health Organization defines anemia as hemoglobin values below 11g/dL in children and children under 5 years of age and in pregnant women.
Is it possible to classify the severity of anemia?
yes. Generally, anemia can be classified as mild, moderate or severe according to the level of hemoglobin
:- mild: hemoglobin > 11 g/dL
- moderate: hemoglobin between 8 and 11 g/dL
- severe: hemoglobin < 8 g/dL
What are the complications associated with anemia?
When not treated properly, anemia can cause:
- worsening of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, hypertension, among others
- difficulty concentrating
- Decreased memory capacity
- Extreme fatigue
- problems during pregnancy, such as preterm birth or low birth weight of the newborn
How is the diagnosis made?
Typically, the diagnosis of anemia includes:
- complete clinical history of the patient, such as: search for symptoms and signs suggestive of anaemia (pallor of the conjunctivae, inflammation of the tongue or corners of the mouth, etc.), history of anaemia in the family, existence of diseases, regular medication, type of diet, trips made with risk of infections, history of bleeding
- laboratory analyses, to study the levels of red blood cells, hemoglobin, iron in the blood, among others
What are the risk groups for developing anemia?
Anemia most often arises in:
- Elderly
- Women with heavy menstrual
- Pregnant
- population with a diet low in nutrients such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B-12
- people with chronic, autoimmune, or bleeding diseases
Is it possible to prevent anemia?
yes. A healthy diet, which includes iron-rich foods such as meat, fish, fruit, green leafy vegetables, beans, lentils is the main way to prevent iron deficiency anemia. In pregnancy it is advisable to take supplementation.
What is the treatment of anemia?
Treatment of anemia depends on the associated cause. That is, if the cause is the deficiency of iron in the blood caused by the lack of this nutrient in the diet, the treatment involves the intake of an oral iron supplement.
In more particular cases, it may be necessary to resort to iron infusion into the vein, or in the case of a more severe anemia, usually caused by blood loss, it may be necessary to have a blood transfusion.