Apanemia Health Centre

Anemia is an inadequate rate of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
Anemia is the complete blood count, a hemoglobin below 11 grams per liter.

Anemia is not necessarily a lack of red blood cells. You can have a normal number of red blood cells, they are too small: a shortage of hemoglobin. Conversely, you can have red blood cells too big, apparently insufficient in number, whereas the hemoglobin may be normal: there is no anemia.

These parameters are identified on the blood count for red cells or erythrocytes or RBCs, or Hb hemoglobin, MCV, which defined the mean corpuscular volume and thus its size, which defined the MCH rates mean corpuscular hemoglobin, ie the a red blood cell contains about as hemoglobin.

We will distinguish 3 major types of anemia:

-anemia by bleeding.
-anemia by shortening the life of red blood cells.
-anemia by manufacturing defect of red blood cells.

Anemia by bleeding.

They are most frequent anemia. Sometimes the bleeding obvious is the vomiting of blood or heavy periods. Sometimes the bleeding is invisible to a non-physician, in the case of gastrointestinal bleeding, for example.
Most often these are anemia in women, related to rules repetitive, too heavy or too frequent. In humans, it’s more of digestive ulcers, hiatal hernia, gastritis. Because sometimes the origin may be cancerous, the doctor will do a fairly complete record before concluding that a benign cause such as rules or gastritis.
The treatment is primarily treatment of the cause. We can also provide some iron. Rarely transfused because of transfusion risk, unless such intolerance of breathlessness on mild exertion, angina pectoris.

Anemia by shortening the life of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia)

The hemolytic anemia is characterized by early destruction of red blood cells. Red blood cells have a lifespan of 120 days. In hemolytic anemia, they have a lifespan of 40 50 80 days. The bone marrow is then exhausted to make red blood cells to compensate for the rapid loss of blood.
The origins of hemolytic anemia are manifold. This may be a hereditary disease and congenital (from birth) type thalassemia where blood cells are fragile and broke easily (in altitude, for example).
This may be an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body produces antibodies that destroy its own cells. This can be seen in lupus, but we also see this mechanism in certain bacterial or viral infections.

Anemia by manufacturing defect of red blood cells or non regenerative anemia.

Here is the bone marrow no longer produces or not enough blood cells. The causes are multiple.
This may be a bone aging. It was invaded fibers that replace the cells that give rise to red blood cells.
This may be a lack of hormonal stimulation, it sees this especially in cases of renal (kidney secretes the famous EPO sought under the doping), we see that also in thyroid deficiencies.
This can be toxic damage (type chemotherapy drug, alcohol).
This may be a cancer that invades and destroys the bone marrow.

Most anemias are benign. It is still a serious problem diagnosis that requires medical intervention.

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