Anemia
Medical Author: Siamak Nabili, MD, MPH
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Anemia Symptoms
Some patients with anemia have no symptoms. Others with
anemia may feel:
- tired,
- fatigue easily,
- appear
pale,
- develop palpitations (feeling of heart racing), and
- become short of
breath.
Learn about additional symptoms of anemia »
Top Searched Anemia Terms:
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hemoglobin,
HIV,
iron deficiency,
kidney failure,
leukemia,
hemacrit,
pernicious anemia,
red blood cell (RBC) count,
sickle cell anemia,
fibroids
What is anemia?
Anemia is a medical condition in which the red blood cell count
or hemoglobin is less than normal. The normal level of hemoglobin is generally
different in males and females. For men, anemia is typically defined as
hemoglobin level of less than 13.5 gram/100ml and in women as hemoglobin of less
than 12.0 gram/100ml. These definitions may vary slightly depending on the
source and the laboratory reference used.
What causes anemia?
Any process that can disrupt the normal life span of a red blood cell may cause anemia. Normal life span of a red blood cell is typically around 120 days. Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow.
Anemia is caused essentially through two basic pathways. Anemia is either caused:
- by a decrease in production of red blood cell or hemoglobin, or
- by a loss or destruction of blood.
As more common classifications of anemia (low hemoglobin) is based on the MCV, or the volume of individual red blood cells.
- If the MCV is low (less than 80), the anemia is categorized as microcytic anemia (low cell volume).
- If the MCV is in the normal range (80-100), it is called a
normocytic anemia (normal cell volume).
- If the MCV is high, then it is called a macrocytic anemia (large cell volume).
Looking at each of the components of a complete blood
count (CBC), especially the MCV, a physician can gather clues as what may be the most common reason for anemia.
Next: Can not enough iron cause anemia? »
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Anemia
Celiac Disease »
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is a disease of the small intestine. The small intestine
is a 22 foot long tube that begins at the stomach and ends at the large intestine (colon). The first
10 inches (25cm) feet of the small intestine (the part that is attached
to the stomach) is called the duodenum, the middle part is called the jejunum,
and the last part (the part that is attached to the colon) is called the ileum. Food
empties from the stomach into the small intestine where it is digested and
absorbed into the body. While food is being digested and absorbed, it is
transported by the small intestine to the colon. What enters the colon is
primarily undigested food. In celiac disease, there is an immunological (allergic)
reaction within the inner lining of the small intestine to proteins (gluten) that are present in wheat,
rye, barley and, to a lesser extent, in oats. The immunological reaction causes
inflammation that destroys the lining of the sma...
Read the Celiac Disease article »
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