Anemia is characterized by a decrease in levels of hemoglobin in the blood, a protein found within red blood cells and is responsible for transporting oxygen to organs.
The causes of anemia are multiple, ranging from a vitamin-poor diet to bleeding, bone marrow dysfunction, autoimmune diseases or chronic diseases, for example.
- Anemia can be mild or even profound.
- When the haemoglobin level is less than 7%.
- And depends not only on the cause.
- But also on the severity of the disease and the response of each person’s body.
Some of the main causes of anemia include
To properly produce red blood cells, your body needs essential nutrients. Their absence causes so-called deficiency anemias, which are;
The absence of these nutrients is detected by blood tests prescribed by your doctor. This type of anemia usually gradually worsens, and because the body can adapt to losses for a while, symptoms can take time to appear.
Watch the video below and see nutritionist Tatiana Zanin’s guidelines on what to eat in case of anemia:
Bone marrow is where blood cells are produced, so if you are affected by a disease, it can compromise red blood cells and cause anemia.
This type of anemia, also called aplastic anemia or spinal anemia, can have several causes, including genetic defects, poisoning by chemical agents such as solvents, bismuth, pesticides, tar, anticonvulsants, exposure to ionizing radiations, HIV infections, parvovirus B19, Epstein-Barr virus or by diseases such as paroxysmal huria. However, in some rare cases, the cause may not be identified.
Learn more about what it is and what to do in case of aplastic anemia.
Bleeding is severe because blood loss represents the loss of red blood cells and therefore a decrease in the amount of oxygen and nutrients transported to the body’s organs.
Some of the most common causes of bleeding can be caused by personal injury, accident injuries, heavy periods or diseases such as cancer, liver disease, varicose veins or ulcers, for example.
In some cases, bleeding is internal and therefore not visible, so tests are required to identify them. Discover the main causes of internal bleeding.
Hereditary diseases, which pass through DNA, can cause changes in hemoglobin production, either in quantity or quality. These changes often cause red blood cells to destroy.
The carrier of these genetic abnormalities will not always have a worrying anemia, however, in some cases, it can be serious and significantly compromise health. The main genetic anemias are those that affect the structure of hemoglobin, also called hemoglobinopathies:
Although best known, there are hundreds of other hemoglobin defects that can lead to anemia, such as methemoglobinemia, unstable hemoglobin, or hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin, for example, which are identified by genetic tests indicated by the hematologist.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHAI) is an immune-causing disease, which occurs when the body produces antibodies that attack the red blood cells themselves.
Although their exact causes are not yet known, they are known to be precipitated by other health conditions, such as viral infections, the presence of other immune diseases or tumors, for example. This type of anemia is usually non-hereditary and is not transmitted from person to person.
Treatment consists mainly of the use of drugs to regulate the immune system, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. Learn more about identifying and treating autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
Chronic diseases, those that can last several months or years of activity, such as tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute rheumatoid arthritis, osteomyelitis, Crohn’s disease or multiple myeloma, for example, cause an inflammatory reaction in the body that can lead to anemia, due to premature death and changes in red blood cell production.
In addition, diseases that cause changes in hormones that stimulate red blood cell production can also cause anemia, such as hypothyroidism, reduction of androgens or lower levels of the hormone erythropoietin, which can be reduced in case of kidney disease.
This type of change usually does not cause severe anemia and can resolve by treating the disease that caused anemia.
Anemia can also occur from infections, such as viral or bacterial infections, as well as the use of certain medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics or anticoagulants, or by the action of substances such as excess alcohol or benzene, for example. Example.
Pregnancy can cause anemia, mainly due to weight gain and fluid gain in circulation, which dilutes the blood.
Anemia may usually be suspected when symptoms such as
However, to confirm the diagnosis of anemia it is necessary to go to the doctor and do a blood test to assess haemoglobin levels, which should be above 13% in men, 12% in women and 11% in pregnant women from the second trimester. . Learn more about tests that confirm anemia.
If blood test hemoglobin values are lower than normal, the person is considered anemic. However, more tests may be needed to identify the cause and begin treatment, especially if there is no apparent reason for the onset of anemia.