Anemia
What are the symptoms of anemia?
Fatigue — feeling too tired to
manage your activities — is the most noticeable anemia symptom. Other symptoms
may include:
Shortness of breath (dyspnea): This
is the feeling you can’t catch your breath or take a deep breath.
Dizziness: This is feeling
lightheaded or unsteady on your feet.
Fast or irregular heartbeat
(arrhythmia): This is when your heart feels like it's racing or skipping beats.
Pounding or “whooshing” sound in
your ear (pulsatile tinnitus): This is a swooshing sound in one of your ears
that may come and go.
Headache: Iron-deficiency anemia and
anemias caused by low hemoglobin may cause headaches.
Pale or yellow skin: Your skin color
may be paler than usual.
Chest pain: This may feel like
something is pressing on or squeezing your chest.
What is the main cause of anemia?
People may be born with certain
types of anemia or develop anemia because they have certain chronic diseases.
But poor diet causes iron-deficiency anemia, which is the most common form of
anemia.
How do healthcare providers diagnose
anemia?
Your healthcare provider will ask
questions about your symptoms. As anemia happens when you don’t have enough
healthy red blood cells, they’ll do blood tests to check on your red blood
cells:
Complete blood count (CBC):
Healthcare providers use this test to check on all of your blood cells, with a
focus on your red blood cells. They count your red blood cells and evaluate
your red blood cells’ size and shape. Healthcare providers may use this test to
check on your vitamin B12 or B9 levels.
Peripheral blood smear: Healthcare
providers examine your red blood cells under a microscope.
How do healthcare providers treat
anemia?
First, your healthcare provider will
determine if you have anemia caused by a poor diet or a more serious health
problem. They may refer you to a hematologist, a healthcare provider who
specializes in blood disorders. Here are some examples of common anemia
treatments:
Healthcare providers may recommend
changing your diet or taking supplements if you have iron-deficiency anemia or
pernicious anemia.
If you have anemia because you have
a chronic disease, your provider will treat the underlying condition. They may
prescribe medication to boost red blood cell production.
Providers may use medications like
immunosuppressants or treatments like blood transfusions to treat anemias that
happen when you have abnormal red blood cells, like aplastic anemia or hemolytic
anemia.