Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Featured pernicious anemia patient discussions on symptoms of onset of disease
"At age 55, I was recently diagnosed with pernicious anemia. I too, was fatigued, off balance at times walking, sick a lot with flu symptoms, etc. I now give myself vitamin B-12 shots once a week. It was discovered through blood work that I was very low in vitamin B-12. I eat healthier, exercise a couple of times a week and feel somewhat better."
"I was diagnosed with pernicious anemia in 1999. I was losing the use of my hands and my muscles. I really was like a mentally challenged person. My tongue was hurting and that is what triggered the diagnosis. When I was first diagnosed, I had to have a B12 shot twice a week and was not allowed outside on my own. I was trained to do the shots on my own, which I still do. At first, I had to have a shot once a month, but soon after, my doctor changed my shots to every two weeks. That’s what I have been on ever since."
"I suffered from iron deficiency originally, then I had a split mouth, sore tongue and my hair started to go grey and I was only 30. Went to the Doctors who sent me
straight for blood tests and came back that I had pernicious anemia, I had heard of it so from then on I had B12 injections and that was 28 years ago. Since them my mother was diagnosed with it. I also have an underactive thyroid which was diagnosed 8 years ago."
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What is pernicious anemia?
Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have a sufficient number of
red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is present within red blood cells and
is important for carrying oxygen to all tissues of the body. In males,
anemia is
typically defined as hemoglobin level of less than 13.5 gram/100ml, while in
women, a hemoglobin level of less than 12.0 gram/100ml is considered to be
indicative of anemia. These definitions may vary slightly depending on the
source and the laboratory reference used. Pernicious is a term that means
destructive, injurious or deadly.
Pernicious anemia is a disease where large,
immature, nucleated cells (megaloblasts, which are forerunners of red blood
cells) circulate in the blood, and do not function as blood cells; it is a
disease caused by impaired uptake of vitamin B-12 due to the lack of intrinsic
factor (IF) in the gastric mucosa. It was termed "pernicious" because before it
was learned that vitamin B-12 could treat the anemia, most people that developed
the disease died from it.
Anemia can result from disruptions in the production of red blood cells or
hemoglobin as well as from an increased destruction of red blood cells or loss
of blood.
Pernicious anemia is due to an inability to absorb vitamin B-12 (also known
as cobalamin or Cbl) from the gastrointestinal tract. Humans get vitamin B-12
from animal products; both meat and dairy products are dietary sources of
vitamin B-12. The body is able to store vitamin B-12 for a long time, so
inadequate dietary intake must persist for years before a true deficiency of
vitamin B-12 is reached. Because of this, the symptoms of pernicious anemia
usually do not appear for years. While pernicious anemia is most commonly
diagnosed in adults with an average age of 60, a rare, congenital (inborn) type
of pernicious anemia has been described.
As with other causes of anemia, symptoms related to decreased oxygen-carrying
capacity of the blood can include tiredness and shortness of breath. Vitamin
B-12 deficiency also interferes with the function of the nervous system, and
symptoms due to nervous system damage may be apparent even before the anemia is
discovered.
Pernicious anemia is most common in Caucasian persons of northern European
ancestry than in other racial groups. In this population, 10-20 people per
100,000 persons are diagnosed each year with pernicious anemia. Pernicious
anemia is also termed Biermer's or Addison's anemia.
What is megaloblastic anemia?
Sometimes, anemias are subclassified based upon the size and microscopic
appearance of the red blood cells. In this regard, pernicious anemia is a form
of megaloblastic anemia. Megaloblastic anemia refers to an abnormally large type
of red blood cell (megaloblast). Megaloblasts are produced in the bone marrow
when vitamin B-12 or folic acid levels are low. Megaloblastic anemia can also be
caused by other disease of the bone marrow and can be a side effect of some
cancer chemotherapy drugs.
Pernicious Anemia - Symptoms At Onset Of DiseaseQuestion: The symptoms of pernicious anemia can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?
Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased.
Though the cause of stomach cancer is unknown, risk factors for stomach cancer include diet, H. pylori infection, smoking age, gastritis, stomach surgery, family history, and pernicious anemia. Symptoms include stomach discomfort, feeling full after a small meal, nausea and vomiting, and weight loss. Treatment depends upon staging and may involve surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Vitiligo is a condition in which the skin turns white due to the loss of pigment from the melanocytes, cells that produce the pigment melanin that gives the skin color.
Thrombocytopenia refers to a decreased number of platelets in the blood. There are many causes of thrombocytopenia such as decreased platelet production (viral infections for example rubella, mumps, chickenpox, hepatitis C, and HIV); increased platelet destruction or consumption (for example sulfonamide antibiotics, heparin, blood transfusions, and lupus); or increased splenic sequestration (enlarged spleen due to conditions for example liver disease, blood cancers, and more). Treatment of thrombocytopenia depends on the cause.
Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Causes of gastritis include drinking too much alcohol, medications such as NSAIDs, ibuprofen, aspirin, H. pylori infection, severe infections, burns, anemia, and autoimmune disorders. Gastritis is diagnosed with endoscopy, blood tests, or stool tests. Treatment depends upon the cause of gastritis.
Birthmarks and other abnormal skin pigmentation is caused by the body's inability to produce enough melanin. Abnormal skin pigmentation can cause conditions such as vitiligo, pigmentation loss, melasma, albinism, port wine stains, macular stains and hemangioma.
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. Some of the symptoms of Graves' disease include hand tremors, rapid heartbeat, trouble sleeping, enlarged thyroid, thinning of the skin or fine brittle hair. Causes of Graves' disease are thought to be multifactorial such as genes, gender, stress, and infection. Treatment for Graves' disease is generally medication.
Iron is a mineral our bodies need. Iron deficiency is a condition resulting from not enough iron in the body. It is the most common nutritional deficiency and the leading cause in the US. Iron deficiency is caused due to increased iron deficiency from diseases, nutritional deficiency, or blood loss and the body's inability to intake or absorb iron. Children, teen girls, pregnant women, and babies are at most risk for developing iron deficiency. Symptoms of iron deficiency include feeling weak and tired, decreased work or school performance, slow social development, difficulty maintaining body temperature, decreased immune function, and an inflamed tongue. Blood tests can confirm an iron deficiency in an individual. Treatment depends on the cause of the deficiency. Proper diet that includes recommended daily allowances of iron may prevent some cases of iron deficiency.
Enjoying a healthy diet helps to prevent diseases. A good diet also helps to control celiac disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure and maintain health by preventing loss of bone mass, muscle strength, and vitamin deficiencies.
Stiff-Person syndrome is a neurological disorder associated with features of an autoimmune disease. Signs and symptoms of Stiff-Person syndrome include a heightened sensitivity to stimuli (noise, touch, emotional distress) and fluctuating muscle rigidity of the trunk and limbs. Conditions associated with Stiff-Person syndrome include thyroiditis, vitiligo, pernicious anemia, and diabetes. Treatment for Stiff-Person syndrome is generally medication to control symptoms.
Thrombocytopenia is a lower than normal number of
platelets in the blood.
Platelets are one of the components of the blood along with white and red
blood cells. Platelets play an important role in clotting and bleeding.
Platelets are made in the bone marrow similar to other cells in the blood such
as, white blood cells and red blood cells.
Platelets originate from megakaryocytes which are large cells found in the bone
marrow. The fragments of
these megakaryocytes are platelets that are released into the blood stream. The
circulating platelets make up about two third of the platelets that are released
from the bone marrow. The other one third is typically stored (sequestered) in
the spleen.
Platelets, in general, have a brief 7 to 10 days life in
the blood, after which they are removed from the blood circulation. The number of platelets in
the blood is referred to as the platelet count and is
normally betw...
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