Anemia and Friends

Hello guys, have you got an idea about anemia from our previous post? Still a bit lost? Or did you forget already? Okay then, let me do a quick recap and refresh your brain again and again. Hope you guys did not get bored with us okay. 

Anemia is diagnosed as any condition in which there is a decreased number of circulating red blood cells. Conditions where our body does not produce enough healthy red blood cells, destroys too many red blood cells, or loses circulating red blood cells can all lead to anemia. Red blood cells are critical to our body's well-being. They carry hemoglobin, a complex protein that contains iron molecules.

The main function of these molecules is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.If there are not enough red blood cells, an individual may experience symptoms such as feeling tired or weak.

This post is getting intense, right? Yes, Anemia is not something you can play around with. In order for you to fight anemia, we must get to know who are their friends. Friends?? Yes!! Anemia and friends. Anemia did has friends, not a normal one obviously. Haha. 

So, let's go!! we find their friends and fight together all of them. 

  "Come and join us!"- from Abam Sado

                                     

Basically, they are more than 400 types of Anemia currently known and these are divided into three main groups according to their cause:

§      Anemia caused by blood loss

§      Anemia caused by decreased production or production of faulty red blood cells

§      Anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells

Causes of anemia

There is no single cause of anemia. Due to the great number of anemia types, it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.

Below is a general overview of the common causes of the three main groups of anemia:

1) Anemia caused by blood loss

The most common type of anemia - iron deficiency anemia - typically falls into this category. In this case, the disorder is brought on by a shortage of iron, most often caused by blood loss.

The blood loss can be categorized as acute and rapid or chronic. Rapid blood loss can include surgery, childbirth, trauma, or a ruptured blood vessel.

Chronic blood loss is more frequent among patients diagnosed with anemia. Here, the blood loss can be a result of stomach ulcers, cancer, or tumor. Women who undergo heavy menstrual bleeding may also be at risk of developing anemia.

When blood is lost, your body reacts by pulling in water from tissues outside the bloodstream in an attempt to keep the blood vessels filled. This additional water dilutes the blood, and, as a result, the red blood cells are diluted.

2) Anemia caused by decreased or faulty red blood cell productions

A patient's diet can be a cause of anemia. A lack of iron or vitamin-rich foods severely affects the body's ability to produce enough red blood cells.

Vegetarians are particularly at risk of anemia due to the elimination of meat which is high iron content. However, there are other iron-rich foods like leafy greens or iron and vitamin supplements that can be incorporated into the diet.

Located in the center of our bones is a soft, spongy tissue, called bone marrow, which is essential for the creation of red blood cells. Bone marrow produces stem cells, which develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Bone marrow can be affected by a number of diseases such as leukemia, where abnormal white blood cells are produced in excess, which disrupts normal production of red blood cells.

3) Anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells

Red blood cells typically have a life span of 120 days in the bloodstream, but they can be destroyed or removed beforehand.

One type of anemia that falls into this category is autoimmune hemolytic anemia, where the body's immune system mistakenly identifies its own red blood cells as a foreign substance and attacks them. Excessive hemolysis (red blood cell breakdown) can occur due to many other medical conditions.