Are You Anemic? Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosis Anemia

Anemia is a condition in which the body lacks blood cells that contain hemoglobin to spread oxygen to all organs of the body. Under these circumstances, patients usually feel tired and tired, so they can not perform their activities optimally.

Anemia can occur in the short or long term with mild to severe severity. The treatment of this condition varies according to the cause. Anemia can be treated by regular use of supplements or special treatment.

Symptoms of anemia

Anemia can be detected by the following symptoms:

• The body quickly feels weak and tired.

• The skin looks pale or yellowish.

• Irregular heartbeat

• Short breath

• Dizzy and dizzy.

• Pain on the chest

• Hands and feet feel cold.

• a headache

• Hard to concentrate.

• Insomnia

• Foot cramps

Initially, symptoms of anemia are often not recognized by the patient. The symptoms of anemia become more pronounced as the affected condition worsens. A consultation with a doctor should be done when someone often feels tired for no apparent reason.

Causes of anemia

Anemia occurs when the body lacks healthy red blood cells that contain hemoglobin. There are about 400 diseases that can cause anemia in a person and are divided into three groups, namely:

• The body does not produce enough red blood cells.

• Blood loss occurs, causing the body to lose blood faster than the body's ability to produce blood.

• Deviations in the body's response to destruction of healthy red blood cells.

Below is a brief description of the types of anemia based on their causes, including:

• Anemia due to iron deficiency. This type of anemia is the most common in the world. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia of the body as the bone marrow needs iron to make blood cells. Anemia can occur in pregnant women who do not use iron supplements. Anemia can also occur with many menstrual bleeding, organ ulcers (wounds), cancer and the use of painkillers such as aspirin. The symptoms that are common in patients with anemia due to iron deficiency are:

1. I feel like foreign matter like paper, paint or ice (this condition is called pica).
2. The mouth feels dry and cracked in the corners.
3. Curved nails (koilonychia).

• Anemia due to vitamin deficiency. In addition to iron, the body also needs vitamin B12 and folic acid to make red blood cells. The lack of these two nutrients can ensure that the body does not produce healthy red blood cells in sufficient quantities so that anemia occurs. In some cases there are anemia patients because the stomach can not absorb vitamin B12 from digested foods. This condition is called pernicious anemia. The symptoms that commonly occur in people with anemia without vitamin B12 and folic acid are:

1. Tingling and tingling in hands and feet.
2. Sensitivity loss to the sense of touch.
3. Hard to walk.
4. Experience stiffness in the legs and arms.
5. Have dementia.

• Anemia due to a chronic illness. A number of diseases can lead to anemia as the process of red blood cell formation and destruction is interrupted. Examples of such diseases are HIV / AIDS, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, Crohn's disease and chronic inflammatory diseases. Symptoms that can occur with anemia due to chronic illness are:

1. The eye and skin color turns yellowish.
2. The color of the urine that turns red or brown.
3. Swear on your feet.
4. Symptoms of gallstones.
5. Developmental delay in children.

• Aplastic Anemia. Aplastic anemia is a rare condition that is dangerous to the patient's life. In aplastic anemia, the body can not produce optimal red blood cells. Aplastic anemia can be caused by infections, side effects of medications, autoimmune diseases or exposure to toxic chemicals.

• Anemia due to a disease of the bone marrow. Some diseases, such as leukemia or mielofibriosis, can disrupt the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow and cause anemia. The symptoms can vary from mild to dangerous.

• Hemolytic Anemia Hemolytic anemia occurs when red blood cells are destroyed by the body faster than the time of production. Some diseases can affect the process and speed of red blood cell destruction. Hemolytic anemia can be genetically inherited or even obtained after birth.

• Sickle cell anemia. This anemia is genetic and is caused by an abnormal form of hemoglobin in which red cells form like a crescent and do not biconcave like red blood cells. Sickle blood cells have a shorter lifespan than normal red blood cells. The symptoms that occur in patients with sickle cell disease are:

1. fatigue
2. Susceptible to infections.
3. Severe pain in the joints, abdomen and limbs.
4. Delay in growth and development in children.

• Other types of anemia caused by thalassemia or malaria.

Some risk factors that may increase the risk of anemia in a person are:

• Vitamin and iron deficiency. Getting used to foods low in vitamin B12, folic acid and iron can increase the risk of anemia.

• Indigestion in the gut. Some diseases, such as Crohn's disease and celiac disease, can lead to a disruption of the absorption of nutrients in the intestine, which increases the risk of anemia.

• Menstruation In general, women who are still menstruating are at a higher risk of developing anemia than men who are menopausal or men. This is caused by blood loss at the time of menstruation.

• Pregnant. Pregnant women who do not take enough folic acid supplements have a higher risk of developing anemia.

• Chronic Illness If someone is suffering from cancer, kidney failure or other chronic conditions, the risk of anemia due to a lack of red blood cells increases. Injuries to internal organs that are accompanied by bleeding can also cause the body to suffer from iron deficiency, thereby increasing the risk of anemia due to iron deficiency.

• History of anemia in the family. Someone with a family member with a history of congenital anemia has a high risk of getting the same condition. Hereditary anemia is generally sickle cell anemia.

• Age Increasing the age increases the risk of anemia in a person. Anemia due to deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid is more common in the elderly over 75 years of age.

• Other factors such as infections, blood disorders, autoimmune diseases, alcoholism, exposure to toxic chemicals and side effects of medications can increase the risk of anemia in the individual.

Diagnosis of anemia

To find out if a patient is anemic or not, the doctor performs the following diagnostic steps:

• Complete blood sample. The method of calculating blood cells is used to count the number of red blood cells in the blood. In the diagnosis of anemia, the parameters measured by the doctor are hematocrit and hemoglobin in the blood. The standard number of normal hematocrit levels in adults varies by laboratory, but is generally between 40 and 52% in males and 35 to 47% in females. Normal hemoglobin in adult men ranges from 14 to 18 grams / deciliter and from 12 to 16 grams / deciliter for women. A complete blood test can also be examined:

- Shape and size of the blood cells. The aim of this test is to determine the structure of the red blood cells to determine if the structure and color of the red blood cells are nominal, especially in patients with sickle cell anemia.

- The content of vitamin B12 and folic acid. If the doctor suspects that the cause of anemia is a lack of vitamin B12 and folic acid, the doctor will check the contents of both substances in the patient's body to be sure.

- Iron content in the blood. If there is a suspicion of iron deficiency anemia, the doctor will check the iron protein in the blood called serum ferritin. Low serum ferritin levels indicate that anemia is caused by iron deficiency.

• Other additional tests to determine the main cause of anemia. Some cases of anemia are due to certain health problems, such as an organ injury. Therefore, a study has to be done to confirm this. Bone marrow tests can be performed to assess bone marrow function in the regeneration of blood cells.

At the time of diagnosis, the doctor will also ask the patient some questions to identify the main causes of anemia:

• Diet to determine if the patients are rich in iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid.

• Treatment being done. Some types of medication can cause bleeding in the stomach or intestines, such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

• Menstrual cycle. Too short menstrual intervals, long-term bleeding and heavy bleeding can cause anemia.

• To find out if there are family members with anemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, or abnormalities in the blood.

• Blood donation scheme. The doctor asks if the patient gives blood regularly.

If the doctor does not find the right cause after examining the patient's history and anemia symptoms, the doctor may perform a physical examination. The following types of investigations can be carried out:

• Examination of the abdomen for examination of internal bleeding in the digestive tract of the patient.

• Look for symptoms of heart failure such as swelling of the ankle. Heart failure has symptoms that resemble anemia

• Rectal examination (rectal plug) to check for bleeding or anomalies in the small intestine and anus.

• Pelvic examination to control bleeding leading to anemia during menstruation. Pelvic examination is not performed without the consent of the patient.

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