Anemia

Anemia is the loss of the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood resulting from a deficiency in quantity or quality of red blood cells or the hemoglobin in the blood. Symptoms include pale skin, weakness, fatigue, and dizziness. Severe anemia may cause difficulty in breathing and heath abnormalities.

The most common type of anemia is iron deficiency anemia, which most often results from chronic blood loss and also from lack of iron in the diet, impaired absorption of iron from the intestine, or increased need for iron, as in pregnancy. Iron is an essential component of the hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the tissues in chemical combination with its iron atoms. Pernicious anemia is a chronic inherited disease of middle aged and older people in which stomach fails to produce a factor needed for the absorption of vitamin B₁₂, which is essential for mature red blood cells. The diseases can be treated by lifelong injections of the vitamin. Aplastic anemia is the result of the failure of bone marrow cells to manufacture mature red cells. It is usually caused by toxic chemicals (for example, benzene) or radiation. Treatment includes preventing further exposure to the causative agent, eliminating any remaining toxic substance from the body, stimulating the proliferation of remaining bone marrow cells, and preventing infection, while keeping the patient alive with blood transfusions. Erythropoietin (EPO), a kidney hormone that promotes formation of red blood cells, is now being produced by biotechnology and is proving useful in the treatment of anemia induced by dialysis. It may eventually also be used for treating other anemia related ailments.

For helping from bleeding can see more detail on Severe Bleeding.