Anemia occurs when there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body’s organs. As a result, you often feel cold and have symptoms of fatigue or weakness. deficiency anemia iron . You can start to ease the symptoms of this type of anemia by adding iron to your diet.

What is anemia?

Anemia occurs when you don’t have enough red blood cells. Cells transport iron and hemoglobin, which is a protein that helps carry oxygen through the bloodstream to the body’s organs. When someone develops anemia, they are said to be “anemic”. Anemia can mean you feel tired or colder than usual, or if your skin seems too pale. This is because your organs are not getting the oxygen they need to do their jobs. Some people discover they are iron deficient when they donate blood.

Are there different types of anemia?

There are several different types of anemia, but each causes the number of red blood cells in the circulation to drop. Low red blood cell levels due to one of the following reasons:

• Your body cannot make enough hemoglobin (low hemoglobin).
• Your body makes hemoglobin, but hemoglobin doesn’t work correctly.
• Your body doesn’t make enough red blood cells.
• Your body breaks down red blood cells too quickly.

What is Anemia ?

Some types of anemia you may have heard of include iron deficiency anemia and sickle cell anemia.

How common is anemia?

Anemia affects more than two billion people globally, more than 30% of the total population. It is especially common in countries with few resources, but it also affects many people in the industrialized world. In the United States, anemia is the most common blood condition. An estimated three million Americans have this disorder.

Who is most likely to develop anemia?

Anyone can develop anemia, although the following groups are at higher risk:

• Women: Blood loss during menstruation and childbirth can lead to anemia. This is especially true if you have heavy periods or a condition like fibroids.
• Children, ages 1 to 2: The body needs more iron during growth.
• Newborns: Newborns may get less iron when they are weaned from breast milk or formula to solid foods. The body does not easily absorb iron from solid foods.
• People over 65: People over 65 are more likely to have a diet low in iron and have certain chronic diseases.
• People taking blood thinners: These include medicines including aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix®), warfarin (Coumadin®), heparin products, apixaban (Eliquis®), betrixaban (BevyxXa®) , dabigatran (Pradaxa®), edoxaban (Savaysa®) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto®).

What are the signs and symptoms of anemia?

Some signs and symptoms occur with all forms of anemia, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and feeling cold. Others include:

• Dizziness or weakness.
• Headache.
• Tongue pain.
• Pale skin, dry skin, or skin that bruises easily.
• Involuntary movement of the lower leg (restless leg syndrome).
• Heart beats fast.

How does anemia affect the body?

Anemia can have other effects on your body besides feeling tired or cold. Other signs that you may be iron deficient include brittle or spoon-shaped nails and possibly hair loss . You may notice that your taste buds have changed or you may have ringing in your ears.

Different types of anemia can lead to other serious problems. People with sickle cell anemia often have heart and lung complications.

If you have anemia without treatment, it can lead to arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), enlarged heart or heart failure . You are also more likely to get infections and become depressed .

You may have heard that iron deficiency is associated with rock chewing, which happens. Chewing ice is a sign of pica, a condition that involves eating things that aren’t actually food, like chalk or dirt. So pica is also a sign of iron deficiency. It is often seen in children with anemia.