Anemic symptoms appear when there is a lower number of red blood cells and hemoglobin (the carrier of the oxygen from lung to tissues), in the organism, determined by varied causes. Next step to follow after the anemic symptoms are diagnosed is to determine if there is a regenerative or an aregenerative anemia and by this we mean to determine if bone marrow, the source of blood cells, is capable of creating new cells to replace the missing ones. This can be established by determining the number of reticulocytes-the young, immature red blood cells; a growth of this cells will prove that bone marrow function is normal. Why is it so important to know what type of anemia (regenerative/aregenerative) we are facing? Because the result will direct our further investigations: for example, the main causes of regenerative anemia are iron deficiency and posthaemorrhagic anemia, while aregenerative anemia (also called aplastic anemia) reveal an abnormality in the bone marrow function determined by neoplasm (leukemia, lymphoma), a toxic substance or by chronic diseases (e.g chronic renal insufficiency).
Why people develop iron deficiency anemic symptoms and how can they be prevented?
Iron deficiency anemic symptoms -the most frequent form of anemia- can occur due to the following causes:
- due to a poor diet or vegetarian diet, considering that red meat is an important source of iron and that the iron from vegetables is more difficult to be absorbed;
- higher necessary of iron-pregnant women and growing children;
- loss of iron because of menses and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding (an important cause of anemic symptoms in people over 50 years old, many times determined by a gastrointestinal cancer, ulcer, gastritis, gastrointestinal polyp etc.). Note: in people over 50 years old, iron deficiency anemia must be always investigated in order to exclude a cancer.
- decrease iron intake (malabsorbtion syndromes- iron is not absorbed in the intestine because of diarrhea)
- hemolitic anemia (red blood cells are destroyed due to varied causes: antibodies directed against red blood cells, enzymatic deficits, congenital defects of red cell blood like sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, toxic, infectious or medication –[ e.g non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs]- induced anemia);
- parasites
Iron deficiency anemia symptoms can be prevented with a correct diet (red meat, liver, eggs, corn, spinach etc.), oral supplements of iron, together with the adjustment of its causes; in severe cases blood transfusions and intravenous iron administration might be needed for these anemic symptoms.
How we recognize anemic symptoms?
Anemic symptoms includes:
- neuropsychiatric: headache, dizziness, irritability, sleepiness or sleep disturbance (insomnia), feeling more tired then usually, anxiety (feeling more stressed then usually), depression, tingling, numbness or burning sensations.
- cardiac symptoms: angina (chest pain, sensation of pressure in the chest area, or constriction), palpitations, rapid heart beats (tachycardia), fainting,
- respiratory signs for anemic symptoms symptoms: breathlessness on physical effort, weakness
- auditive and visual symptoms: tinnitus (sensation of noise in the ears), visual disturbance (foggy view)
- digestive symptoms: abdominal pain (if anemia is secondary to a gastrointestinal disease), loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, disphagia (difficulty in swallowing), constipation, mouth ulceration, glossitis (inflammation or infection of the tongue)
- General signs: sensation of coldness, hair loss, weak nails, koilonychia (spoon-shaped nails), itching, heavy menstrual period.
- Physical signs that can direct our attention to anemic symptoms:
- pale skin or yellow skin (in a hemolitic anemia due to the large amount of bilirubine resulted from red blood cell destruction)
- fever
- enlarged lymph nodes (in lymphoma-cancer of the immune system)
- heart murmur, rapid heart rate, dyspneea, etc.