Anaemia

Anaemia occurs when the blood doesn’t have enough red blood cells. This can be caused by the inability of the body to produce enough red blood cells, or the increased destruction or loss of red blood cells, which can result from:

• Damage to the bone marrow
• Destruction of red blood cells due to infectious diseases, hereditary disorders and autoimmune diseases
• Hereditary disorders such as thalassaemia, sickle cell anaemia
• Increased function of the spleen (where the red blood cells are usually filtered) leading to increased destruction of red blood cells
• Lack of certain nutrients like iron and folate
• Menstrual disorders that lead to increase blood loss
• Reduced stimulation caused by renal (kidney) disease or other endocrine (hormone) disorders
• Significant bleeding causing the body to lose red blood cells faster than it can replace

The symptoms of anaemia include:

• Chest pain
• Cognitive (thought) problems
• Cold hands and feet
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Tiredness and dizziness
• Headache
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath

The treatment of anaemia depends on the cause and the type of the condition. The aim of the treatment is to stop whatever is causing the anaemia and to potentially restore the function of red blood cells. This can be achieved by:

• Blood transfusions to boost red blood cells levels and ease symptoms
• Bone marrow transplant
• Immunosuppressant drugs to stop the abnormal destruction of red blood cells
• Using various nutritional supplements including iron, folate and vitamin B12