Anemia is a problem when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all other organs in the body.
TYPES AND CAUSES OF ANAEMIA
There are many forms of anemia. Each has its own cause. Anemia can be short term or long term. It can range from mild to severe. Anemia can be a warning sign of serious illness.
- IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA: Iron deficiency anemia is by far the commonest type of anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
As the name implies, iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin).
- SICKLE CELL ANEMIA: is one of a group of inherited disorders known as sickle cell disease. It affects the shape of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
Red blood cells are usually round and flexible, so they move easily through blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia, some red blood cells are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These sickle cells also become rigid and sticky, which can slow or block blood flow.
- VITAMIN DEFICIENCY ANEMIA: Vitamin deficiency anemia is a lack of healthy red blood cells caused by lower than usual amounts of vitamin B-12 and folate.
This can happen if you don’t eat enough foods containing vitamin B-12 and folate, or if your body has trouble absorbing or processing these vitamins.
Without these nutrients, the body produces red blood cells that are too large and don’t work properly. This reduces their ability to carry oxygen.
- THALASSEMIA: Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes your body to have less hemoglobin than normal. Hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen.
- APLASTIC ANEMIA : is a rare but serious condition that occurs when your body stops producing enough new blood cells from the bone marrow.
It can develop at any age and can occur suddenly, or it can come on slowly and worsen over time. It can be mild or severe.
Treatment for aplastic anemia might include medications, blood transfusions or a stem cell transplant, also known as a bone marrow transplant.
SYMPTOMS
Anemia symptoms depend on the cause and how bad the anemia is. It can be so mild that it causes no symptoms at first. But symptoms usually then occur and get worse as the anemia gets worse.
However, the commonest symptoms are:
- Easy fatigability- getting tired easily on doing a small task/work
- Shortness of breath: breathing faster than usual
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea: the food tastes strange
- Feeling of pins and needles or numbness in the hands and the legs
- Ringing sounds in the ears-tinnitus
- Palpitations- heart beating louder than usual
- Body/muscle weakness
- Swelling of the legs
- Chest pains or heart burns
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Change of colour of the hands, tongue from pink to whitish
- Dry cough
- Mental confusion and easy forgetfulness
- Weight loss
- Unsteady movements
PREVENTION
- Eat a balanced diet
- Seek medical attention if you have any of the listed symptoms
- Attend antenatal care services if pregnant for early detection of anaemia
- Deworm your children and yourself regularly because intestinal worms especially hookworms have caused death in people
- Live healthy lifestyles: No excessive alcoholic intake
- Always check your colour of stool, if it changes seek medical advice
