Anemia

Anemia is a condition of the blood where there is not enough oxygen carried to the body's cells. Oxygen is mostly transported on hemoglobin molecules in red blood cells. Anemia is present when amounts of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin are below normal.

The most common sign of anemia is fatigue. You may also feel weak, dizzy, or just not well. You may be pale, feel cold and easily short of breath. Your blood pressure may be low and your heart rate may be rapid. Other symptoms of anemia include sadness, loss of libido, sleeping problems, and loss of appetite.

If anemia becomes severe, you may have symptoms that indicate your tissues are not getting enough oxygen. You may have trouble concentrating or become confused. You could have chest pain or even a heart attack. You may develop fluid in your lungs. Eventually, you would go into shock and die.

Anemia can be caused by several things:

1. Blood loss. Acute, rapid blood loss, such as occurs with trauma, causes severe anemia, shock and death. More common is slow, chronic blood loss that is very difficult to track down. Many people have slow blood loss from their gastrointestinal tract, especially as they get older.
2. Diseases. A few specific diseases directly cause anemia, including sickle-cell anemia and thalassemia. Other diseases, such as kidney disease, cause anemia by interfering with the body's ability to produce blood cells.
3. Medications. Some medications such as aspirin can cause anemia by causing bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Other medications suppress the body's ability to make red blood cells.
4. Dietary deficiencies. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. It can make other anemia worse, too. For example, menstruating women often have mild anemia because they lose small amounts of blood each month and they do not have enough iron to replace it. Deficiencies of folic acid and vitamin B12 can also cause anemia.
5. Toxins. Lead toxicity, alcohol toxicity and chemotherapy-related anemia are examples of toxic anemia.

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is more common than we previously thought. Many people do not get enough vitamin B12 in their diets. Vitamin B12 supplements are not always helpful because many people cannot absorb vitamin B12 through their intestine. The most effective ways to get enough vitamin B12 to prevent anemia are through injection or by using the B12 patch, which allows vitamin B12 to be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream.