What is Anemia?
Anemia is a condition that develops when the blood count lacks enough of the healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin.

  • Hemoglobin is the main part of the red blood cells that binds oxygen.

What can cause Anemia?
  • Anemia can be caused through blood loss in heavy menstrual or heavy bleeding from wounds.

  • It can also be caused from a decrease in faulty red blood cell production.

  • Also, through the blood destruction.

Symptoms
  • Extreme fatigues

  • Frequent Infections

  • Pale Skin

  • Headaches

  • Shortness of breathe

  • Dizziness

  • Chest pain

  • Brittle nails
  • Inflammation or soreness of tongue

  • Fast heart beat

  • Poor appetite

  • Uncomfortable tingling in legs (restless leg syndrome)

  • Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances (ex: ice, dirt , or starch)

Common Types of Anemia

  • Sickle Cell Anemia

  • Iron –Deficiency Anemia

  • Vitamin Deficiency Anemia

How to figure out the severity of Anemia

  • Go to the doctor and tell the doctor the symptoms and the family history

  • The doctor will listen for irregular heartbeat; listen to your lungs for rapid or uneven breathing.

  • The doctor will also check the abdomen to see the size of your liver and spleen.

Different Types of Test and Exams for Anemia

  • There is different type of test like the CBC test which is the Complete Blood Count, which measures the body’s blood in parts.

  • The Hemoglobin electrophoresis looks at the different types of hemoglobin blood and figures out what type of anemia you might have.

  • The Serum Iron and the Serum Ferrite test, check the iron level. Transferring and total iron binding iron capacity measure the iron level.

Effect of Anemia

  • Kidney Failure

  • Nausea from taking the iron pills

  • Harder to carry babies

Anemia Be Fixed

  • Pills

  • Take liquid iron

  • Drink and eat more nutritious foods that provide iron and vitamins


Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-anemia-basics

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/anemia

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/basics/causes/con-20026209

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/anemia/article_em.htm