How Much Do You Know About Anemia?

Many types of anemia are mild and can be easily treated. Some types can even be prevented with a healthy diet. Other types are chronic and need ongoing treatment.

Anemia can refer to a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells. It can be a condition in which the red blood cells have too little hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red color. This protein helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Anemia may be a sign of ulcers, benign polyps in the colon, leukemia, colon cancer, tumors, or kidney failure. If you have symptoms of anemia, talk with your healthcare provider, who can make the diagnosis. Treatment will depend on what has caused the anemia and how severe it is.

Anemia can be one of several types. Most types of anemia are not life-threatening (benign). Each has its own cause and treatment. Types include aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia, iron-deficiency anemia, hemolytic anemia, pernicious anemia, and sickle cell anemia.

According to the NHLBI, iron-deficiency anemia is a common form of anemia. It's the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. People of childbearing age and pregnant people are at higher risk for iron-deficiency anemia. In this type of anemia, the body does not have enough iron to form hemoglobin. This means there is not enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the whole body. Your main source of iron is the food you eat. Good sources of iron are red meat, seafood, whole grains, dried fruit, beans, nuts, spinach, broccoli, and iron-fortified foods. Check the labels on foods like cereal and bread to see if they're fortified.

Anemia treatment depends on the cause. The goal of treatment is to increase the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry. This is done by raising the red blood cell count and/or hemoglobin level. Another goal is to treat the underlying condition or cause of the anemia.

The causes of some types of anemia have nothing to do with nutrition. For instance, anemia can be caused by too much bleeding due to injury or surgery, heavy menstrual bleeding, certain diseases, or an infection.

Other symptoms include weakness, pale skin, a fast or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, and thinking problems.

Vegetarians, menstruating people, and people with Crohn’s disease, cancer, liver failure, or kidney disease have a higher risk. Anemia also can develop during pregnancy because of low levels of iron and folic acid and changes in the blood. During the first 2 trimesters, a pregnant person's blood volume increases faster than the number of red blood cells. This dilutes the blood and can lead to anemia. Children younger than 2 years also are at risk for anemia. This is particularly true if they drink a lot of milk. Cow's milk is low in iron, which children need for growth. Children who are full from drinking cow's milk won't eat other foods that are high in iron. Children under 12 months shouldn't have any cow's milk. Children over 12 months shouldn't have more than 2 cups of whole cow's milk per day.

You could have anemia or another unrelated condition.