Anaemia
Understanding blood
Blood is made up of a fluid called plasma which contains:
Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow, and millions are released into the bloodstream each day. A constant new supply of red blood cells is needed to replace old cells that break down. Red blood cells contain a chemical called haemoglobin. Haemoglobin binds to oxygen and takes oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
To make red blood cells and haemoglobin constantly, you need a healthy bone marrow and nutrients such as iron and certain vitamins which we get from food.
What is anaemia?
Anaemia means that:
In either case, a reduced amount of oxygen is carried around in the bloodstream.
What are the symptoms of anaemia?
What are the causes of anaemia?
Iron deficiency anaemia
Lack of iron is the most common cause of anaemia in the UK. This is called iron deficiency anaemia. If you eat a normal balanced diet, it usually contains enough iron. The following are some reasons that may lead to a lack of iron resulting in iron deficiency anaemia:
Other causes
There are many other causes of anaemia. These include the following:
Lack of certain vitamins such as folic acid and vitamin B12..
Red blood cell problems such as thalassaemia, sickle cell anaemia and the haemolytic anaemias. In these conditions the red cells are fragile and break easily in the bloodstream.
Bone marrow problems and leukaemia are uncommon, but can cause anaemia.
Other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and kidney failure can also cause anaemia.
Finding the cause of anaemia and treating it
A simple blood test can measure the amount of haemoglobin in your blood and count the number of red blood cells per millilitre (ml). Although this test can confirm that you are anaemic, it does not identify the cause of your anaemia.
Sometimes the underlying cause is obvious. For example, anaemia is common in pregnancy and in women who have heavy menstrual periods. In these situations, no further tests may be needed and treatment with iron tablets may be advised. However, the cause of the anaemia may not be clear and so further tests may be advised.
Some causes of anaemia are more serious than others and it is important to find the reason for anaemia. The treatment of anaemia depends on the underlying cause. For many people this may simply be iron tablets. For others it may be a course of vitamins or other more complex treatments.