Know About Anemia

Anemia is a condition that arises either due to low RBC count or less than normal quantity of haemoglobin. In anemia, the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood decreases to such extent that it is insufficient to meet physiological needs of the patient.

About Anemia

Anemia is a very common disorder and is found in large number of people worldwide. It is considered to be the most common disorder of blood. Anemia occurs at all stages of life cycle, but is more prevalent in pregnant women and young children as they require more amount of oxygen as compared to others due to development of foetus for pregnant women and rapid growth in young children.



Anemia is prevalent in both developed as well as developing countries. According to World Health Organisation, Anemia is world's second leading cause of disability and thus one of the most serious global public health problems. Anemia affects over half of pre-school children and pregnant women in developing countries and at least 30-40% in industrialized countries. In poorer malaria endemic countries, anemia is one of the commonest cause of death in children under 5 years and in pregnant women. 

Cause of Anemia

There are many causes of anemia. Iron deficiency is considered to be the major cause of anemia globally whereas other causes include folate, vitamin A, vitamin B12 deficiencies, chronic inflammation, parasitic infection, and inherited disorders such as sickle-cell anemia. Very often, multiple causes coexist.

Types of Anemia

There are more than 400 types of anemia. The three main classes of anemia are :

• Anemia due to blood loss (acute if blood is lost due to Haemorrhage and chronic for low volume blood loss which occurs during bleeding in internal organs, ulcers {will discuss about this in one of my posts in future}, use of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs {will see this in one of the upcoming posts}, childbirth, menstrual bleeding, etc )
• Excessive destruction of blood cells (known as Haemolysis)
• Insufficient production of RBCs (ineffective Haematopoiesis)
• Certain forms of anemia (such as sickle-cell anemia) are hereditary and may affect the child since birth.

Symptoms of Anemia

In most of the people, anemia goes undetected as it's symptoms are minor. Common symptoms of anemia are weakness, fatigue, or general malaise. These are because organs do not receive the required amount of oxygen to produce enough energy for their functions. Some other symptoms of anemia which may possibly be seen are given in the diagram

Diagnosis of Anemia

To diagnose anemia, doctor will ask about patient's medical history, whether anyone in patient's family is anemic, patient's diet, medications, alcohol intake (if alcoholic). Doctor will also check for symptoms of anemia which may help in understanding the cause and may also order blood test. Blood tests confirms diagnosis of anemia and provides information regarding its cause. Blood tests for anemia might include :

• CBC, where RBC count, Haemoglobin count, MCV and RDW are considered. In large medical centres of US and some other countries, Reticulocyte count is also considered.
• Blood iron level and serum ferritin level which tells us whether the patient is iron-deficient or not.
• Vitamin B12 and Folate levels, these two vitamins are required for RBC production (Haematopoiesis)
• Some special blood tests for some rare causes of anemia

Only in rare cases, the doctor will need to remove a sample of bone marrow to determine the cause of anemia.

This and all other present and upcoming articles of this blog are for informative purpose only. Readers may please consult a doctor if they feel they are sick. Any medications should not be taken without doctor's consultation.