Among the many blood diseases, anemia is certainly worthy of special attention, also known as anemia , manifested, among other things, by a significant decrease in the level of hemoglobin, red blood cells, or erythrocytes, and the so-called hematocrit index. Untreated anemia paves the way to other diseases, primarily progressive hypoxia, heart and circulatory system disorders, memory problems, and in extreme cases even death.

Anemia is a disease directly affecting the reduction in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood, an important protein, without which there are serious disorders of the functioning of virtually the entire body. The main task of haemoglobin, found in red blood cells, is to transport oxygen from the lungs to all cells of our body and remove carbon dioxide from them, which is then exhaled through the lungs to the outside world.

Its importance cannot be underestimated and we should always take care to maintain its proper level, which, according to WHO, World Health Organization standards, is

These values are not unambiguous; they may change under the influence of various factors, including the accuracy of laboratory tests performed. Regardless, hemoglobin deficiency manifests itself in a characteristic way, leading precisely to the formation of anemia, or anemia, which we will characterize in a little more detail.

Anemia, regardless of its type, gives a variety of symptoms, which, however, are not difficult to confuse with other diseases, and specialists point out, among others:

The multitude of symptoms of anemia can sometimes cause problems with its correct diagnosis, so it is diagnosed not only through a medical history, but primarily by ordering several basic diagnostic tests:

There are many different criteria for div iding this dangerous and even life-threatening disease. The basic is its differentiation due to the severity of symptoms, which also results from the level of hemoglobin, and taking into account these factors, anemia can be divided into:

Of course, this is not the only division of anemia, as often used is the criterion of the so-called deficiencies of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In this case, we can deal with different varieties of anemia, such as:

Another name used for it is microcytic anemia, and the cause is too low levels of iron in the body. Iron is an element necessary to counteract many diseases, including anemia, responsible primarily for the construction and proper functioning of red blood cells and the synthesis of hemoglobin. Its deficiencies have an immediate negative impact on health and are caused by:

Iron deficiency anemia is relatively easy to detect with blood tests; the results obtained immediately show decreases in many important indicators, including:

It is also worth noting its negative effects, and in addition to those already mentioned above, there may be cracking of the skin, mostly in the corners of the mouth, difficulty breathing, brittle and fragile nails, reddened tongue, increasing apathy, lowering of the threshold of fatigue. The latter ailment simultaneously causes a decrease in physical activity, which in turn contributes to an increase in overweight or obesity.

Treatment of anemia caused by lack of iron comes down mainly to supplementation of deficiencies of this element, in milder cases only a change in the current diet is sufficient. In more severe cases it will be necessary to take preparations with iron, in the form of tablets or faster acting injections.

They belong to an exceptionally large group and at the same time are essential for maintaining health and the efficient functioning of many systems and organs of the human body. This is why it is necessary to take care to maintain their proper levels, arising deficiencies mean a higher risk of developing megaloblastic anemia, also called malignant anemia or Addison’s-Biermer anemia. The most common causes are:

In its course, the production of red blood cells, which are larger than normal, is disturbed; it also has symptoms that clearly distinguish it from other varieties:

Megaloblastic anaemia is one of the most difficult to cure, as with the previous one, deficiencies of both vitamins must be supplemented, but if the disease has gone too far, preparations with cobalamin and folic acid will have to be taken for life.

Another common type of anemia is hemolytic anemia, in its course there is a too rapid breakdown of erythrocytes, often their irreversible destruction, and the disease can be divided into two basic types:

The cause of such anemia can be disorders of the spleen and the immune system, destroying healthy erythrocytes. Equally often such a state is caused by developing infections, ranging from simple inflammations, up to tumors such as leukemia. Symptoms indicating the development of this variety of disease, which are worth attention, are:

The treatment is more complicated than in the previous variants and includes the administration of immunosuppressive drugs or corticosteroids, sometimes a blood transfusion is necessary, and in the most severe cases the spleen must be surgically removed.

Directly associated with aplasia, i.e. bone marrow atrophy, so no new red blood cells can be produced, or they are produced in too small quantities. Aplastic anemia is also divided into congenital or acquired, and the causes of its development are:

Clinical signs and symptoms are typical of other variants and include easy bruising and spontaneous bleeding for no apparent reason. As far as treatment is concerned, there is only one method that guarantees effectiveness, and that is a bone marrow transplant.

Another variety that is worth describing in more detail, occurring precisely in pregnant women, and its primary cause is the increasing need for vitamins, primarily B12 and folic acid and minerals, led, of course, by iron. The body needs more of them because it has to produce more blood, by about 20-30 percent, necessary for the proper growth and development of the child in the womb.

It is important to maintain these levels throughout pregnancy, as deficiencies increase the risk, which varies from trimester to trimester. In the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage increases, in the second, developmental disorders of the fetus may occur, and lack of iron in the third results in premature birth. Treatment consists in the selection of an appropriate diet and supplementation of its deficiencies with dietary supplements containing the three above-mentioned ingredients, among which folic acidis the most important for the future mother.

Anemia is not a disease affecting only adults, it is equally common in children of different ages, even in newborns. Its cause is mainly iron deficiency, which must be supplemented immediately to avoid such alarming symptoms in the child as:

To avoid such ailments a properly balanced diet of a toddler will help, full not only of appropriate doses of iron but also of folic acid and cobalamin, but their adjustment should be done by a specialist.