Dr Brigid Monda
Anaemia is the most common disorder of the blood. When one has anaemia, it means they lack blood or have a decrease in normal number of red blood cells (RBC) or less than the normal quantity of haemoglobin in the blood.
Because haemoglobin (found inside RBCs) normally carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, anaemia leads to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in organs.
Because all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anaemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences.
This inadequate level of haemoglobin translates into a lower oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, causing the typical symptoms of anaemia.
The affected person is pale because of the decreased redness of the blood and because blood is shunted from all the vital organs.
This decreased blood flow to the skin also makes the person hypersensitive to cold; they get dizzy and have headaches because the brain is not getting enough oxygen. They also get palpitations because the heart pumps faster than normal to get this blood with its’ low oxygen levels to the vital organs of the body. In severe cases the heart fails.
Resistance to infection
Anaemia also lowers resistance to infection and causes complications in pregnancy because the baby in the womb is completely dependant on the mother for everything.
There are different types of anaemia with as many different causes.
For example, a lack of iron, which is required for the manufacture of haemoglobin, will cause iron deficiency anaemia — the most common type of anaemia.
It affects mainly women because they loose blood during their monthly period.
If the iron lost is not replaced, the woman will eventually develop iron deficiency anaemia.
Other common causes are an iron-deficient diet; heavy hookworm infection because these feed on blood and cause bleeding from their feeding sites; malaria; poorly spaced pregnancies; bleeding peptic ulcers or piles.
Formation of haemoglobin
Lack of Vitamin B12 in the diet, which is also essential in the formation of haemoglobin (common in vegetarians because the best sources of vitamin B12 is from foods like red meat that vegetarians don’t eat).
Chronic kidney disease also causes renal anaemia. The kidneys play an important role in red blood cell production because they have specialised cells that secrete a hormone, erythropoietin — the prime regulator of red blood cell production in the bone marrow.
These specialised cells are sensitive to low oxygen levels in the blood and they release erythropoietin when the oxygen level is low and this hormone in turn, stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
So if the kidneys are diseased, renal anaemia may develop with complications like heart failure and even death if untreated.
Because anaemia itself is not a disease but is a sign of another underlying problem, when treating anaemia, the under lying problem that’s causing the anaemia has to be treated too.
For example, for iron-deficiency anaemia, an iron rich diet and an iron supplement will do the trick, alongside treatment of the underlying cause like a worm infection, malaria, bleeding ulcers and heavy periods.
SYMPTOMS OF ANAEMIA
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Light-headedness
• Palpitations (feeling of the heart racing or beating irregularly)
• Looking pale
Symptoms of severe anaemia:
• Chest pain, angina, or heart attack
• Dizziness
• Fainting or passing out
• Rapid heart rate
Signs that may indicate anaemia in an individual may include:
• Change in stool colour
• Rapid heart rate • Low blood pressure
• Rapid breathing
• Pale or cold skin
• Yellow skin called jaundice if anaemia is due to red blood cell breakdown
• Heart murmur
• Enlargement of the spleen happens with certain causes of anaemia
