Anaemia is a condition in which there is not enough haemoglobin to carry oxygen in the blood. Haemoglobin is the red pigment in the red blood cells. Anaemia occurs when the number of red blood cells in the blood is reduced due to decreased production or increased destruction of these cells.
The common types of anaemia are:
- Anaemia linked with bone marrow disease like leukaemia
- Anaemia of chronic disease which can be caused by chronic inflammatory (swelling) diseases that affect red blood cell production, eg. cancer, kidney failure and rheumatoid arthritis
- Aplastic anaemia caused by the reduced ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells
- Haemolytic anaemia which occurs when red blood cells are destroyed
- Iron deficiency anaemia caused by lack of iron in the body (most common type in Singapore)
- Sickle cell anaemia which is an inherited condition characterised by red blood cells that has an abnormal crescent shape
- Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia