What is anemia?
Anemia occurs when there’s a lack of healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin, essential components that help transport oxygen from the lungs to organs and tissues throughout the body. This results in a low supply of oxygen and can lead to feelings of fatigue or weakness. If left untreated, anemia can lead to more serious health issues, including severe tiredness that limits daily activities, complications during pregnancy, or heart problems.
Anemia has a variety of causes and may be treated by primary care physicians, hematologists, cardiologists, or gastroenterologists depending on the underlying health issue. At Penn Medicine Hematology, our physicians have experience treating different types of anemia and offer specialized treatments to relieve your symptoms and restore your health.
What are the different types of anemia?
There are more than 400 types of anemia, each with different causes ranging from iron deficiency, blood loss, or damaged red blood cells to issues with red blood cell production. Some of the most common forms of anemia are inherited, tied to malnutrition, or caused by abnormal blood cell function.
Inherited anemias
You may inherit an anemic condition due to a gene mutation. Common inherited anemias include:
- Sickle cell anemia: This group of disorders alters the shape of red blood cells, hindering blood flow.
- Fanconi anemia: This rare genetic disorder impacts different parts of the body including the bone marrow’s ability to make healthy red blood cells.
- Diamond Blackfan anemia: This disorder severely limits the bone marrow’s ability to make enough red blood cells.
- Thalassemia: This condition is caused when the body doesn’t produce enough of the hemoglobin protein needed to distribute oxygen throughout the body.
Nutritional anemias
Nutritional anemia occurs when you don’t get an adequate level of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet. Common nutritional anemias include:
- Iron deficiency anemia: This results from insufficient iron for hemoglobin production, often due to poor diet or blood loss.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia: This is caused by inadequate B12 intake or absorption issues that lead to low red blood cell count and neurological symptoms.
- Megaloblastic anemia: This condition is triggered by B12 or B9 (folate) vitamin deficiency, causing the production of unusually large red blood cells.
- Pernicious anemia: This type of anemia leads to reduced absorption of dietary vitamin B12, resulting in a deficiency and the development of megaloblastic anemia.
Anemias caused by abnormal red blood cells
This type of anemia is caused by the inability of the body to produce healthy red blood cells in the proper amounts to support bodily functions. These conditions are generally unrelated to genetics or nutrition. These conditions may include:
- Aplastic anemia: This condition is caused by a stem-cell deficiency in bone marrow that leads to insufficient red blood cell production.
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia: This anemia occurs when the immune system attacks red blood cells.
- Hemolytic anemia: This anemia is caused by an inability to keep pace with adequate blood cell production due to a rapid breakdown of red blood cells.
- Macrocytic anemia: This condition occurs when bone marrow produces unusually large red blood cells.
- Microcytic anemia: This anemia happens when red blood cells are smaller than normal.
- Normocytic anemia: A low red blood cell count and below-normal hemoglobin levels are factors that lead to this anemia.
- Sideroblastic anemia: This condition produces abnormal red blood cells and excess iron in the body.
What are the symptoms of anemia?
Anemia symptoms vary from person to person. Mild cases of anemia may initially have no noticeable symptoms, though symptoms can increase in severity as the condition progresses. If left untreated, anemia can lead to various health issues, including severe tiredness that limits daily activities, complications during pregnancy, or heart problems.
Early symptoms of anemia include:
- Feeling tired or weak
- Loss of appetite
- Headaches
- Irritability, or trouble concentrating
- Numbness or tingling of hands or feet
As anemia worsens, symptoms may escalate to include:
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Blue discoloration in the whites of the eyes
- Brittle nails
- Pale or yellowing skin, resembling jaundice
- Loss of libido
- A desire to eat non-food items (pica syndrome)
- An inflamed or sore tongue
- Mouth ulcers
- Severe fatigue
- Worsening shortness of breath
What causes anemia?
Various factors contribute to different types of anemias. While some are beyond your control, such as family history or the natural aging process, others are manageable through lifestyle choices and health interventions.
Some causes and risk factors for anemia include:
- Acute or chronic blood loss
- Autoimmune disorders
- Bone marrow problems
- Certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs
- Chronic diseases like kidney disease or cancer
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Family history (for inherited conditions like thalassemia or sickle cell anemia)
- Immune system-related destruction of red blood cells
- Inadequate intake of essential nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid
- Insufficient hemoglobin or red blood cell production
How anemia is diagnosed
To diagnose your anemia, your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask about your medical and family history. They’ll order standard blood tests that measure iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and other vitamin and nutrient levels. Additional tests may be recommended to make an accurate diagnosis.
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- Peripheral blood smear
- Urine tests
- Colonoscopy
- Upper endoscopy
- Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
- Genetic tests
Treating anemia
There are a wide range of treatments for anemia depending on your specific diagnosis, and whether it’s hereditary or acquired. Some types of anemia can be addressed through dietary adjustments or medications, while others require additional treatment. It’s important that you work with the appropriate specialist – which may include a primary care doctor, hematologist, cardiologist, or gastroenterologist – to get the treatment you need.
Specialists in finding relief for anemia
At Penn Medicine, our anemia specialists can help uncover the cause of your anemia with precision. Once we’ve pinpointed a diagnosis, we can create an individualized treatment plan for you. We focus on early detection and intervention to treat your symptoms and help you avoid serious complications, so you can regain your health and return to your regular activities quickly.