Anemia

Anemia is a condition where there is not enough red blood cells in a person's blood, this can happen to anyone anywhere. Approximately 3.5 million people in the United States have some form of anemia. When there is not enough red blood cells in the blood oxygen can not get to the brain and other vital organs to allow for proper function. There are over 400 different types of anemia that are all broken down into the following three categories, anemia caused by blood loss, anemia caused by decreased red blood cell production, and anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells.

1.Blood loss anemia is not from a major injury that you might get by hurting yourself such as a car accident but instead it is caused by gastrointestinal problems as well as due to heavy periods in women.
2.Decreased red blood cell production is caused by there not being the proper nutrience to develop the red blood cells or even having sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is when the red blood cells are cresant shaped and break down easily not allowing for oxygen to reach the organs this is mainly found in people of African descent. Another reason that someone might have a decreased red blood cell count might be from bone marrow problems.
3. Destruction of red blood cells can be from just moving around the pulmonary system. Hemolytic anemia is also a possibility similar to sickle cell anemia it is passed down from one generation to the next but instead of causing the blood cell to not be able to carry the nutrience it needs it is destroyed before it can reach its destination.

This site goes into detail about the specific areas of the three types of anemia. It talks about the ways that anemia affects the body and how different factors impact your risk of getting/having a form of anemia. To the right is a picture highlighting all of the possible side effects that one might run into when anemic those in red are due to severe anemia. If you are weak along with several of these symptoms you might have anemia if you are experiencing one of the red symptoms it is important to seek medical attention immediately.







The chart beside is what is the average hemoglobin levels for various age groups. Men are more likely to have a higher amount of hemoglobin than women and children while babies have the highest levels. If you believe that you might have anemia your doctor will have you get blood work done to see your hemoglobin level. If it is low you are more likely to be anemic.

Anemia weakens a person as well, I for one am iron deficient due to my diet but by taking iron supplements every day I can better control my anemia. When a person has anemia they do not realize how much energy they are missing until they become no longer anemic.