Learn about different types of anaemia, their Reasons. A detailed guide for students, researchers
What Is Anaemia?
Anaemia is a condition in which a person has an abnormally low level of red blood cells or hemoglobin.
According to clinical definitions, anaemia is diagnosed when hemoglobin levels fall below 130 g/L in men, 120 g/L in non-pregnant women, and 110 g/L in children aged 6–59 months.
This condition reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, which affects daily activities, physical performance, and overall body functions.
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Iron-Deficiency Anaemia
Iron deficiency anaemia, the most prevalent kind of anaemia, is typically brought on by a poor diet and ongoing blood loss during menometrorrhagia (heavy and protracted menstrual cycles).
Additionally, the rapid development of children during childhood and adolescence and the increased iron need for babies during pregnancy may be the causes of iron deficiency anaemia.
Reasons
When the rate of iron loss or absorption exceeds the rate of iron intake from our diet, we have an iron deficit. Constant loss of blood: The most frequent causes of constant blood loss are hemorrhoids, gastritis, peptic ulcers, and menometrorrhagia, or blood loss within the body or gut.
Other Reasons
Inflammation of the stomach, inflammation of the esophagus, ulcers in the stomach or bowel, hemorrhoids, leaky blood vessels, or tumors in the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, or colon
Blood loss from
Chronic nosebleeds
Kidneys or bladder
Frequent blood donations
Red blood cells break down in the blood stream, releasing iron that is then lost in the urine
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anaemia is a genetic blood disorder in which a person produces abnormally shaped red blood cells (RBCs).
Instead of the normal round, biconcave disc shape, the RBCs take on a sickle or “C” shape.
Because of this abnormal shape, sickle cells are less flexible and often get stuck in small blood vessels, causing blockages that disrupt normal blood flow.
This leads to reduced oxygen delivery to tissues, resulting in pain, organ damage, and anaemia.
Due to the short lifespan of sickle cells—they die after 10 to 20 days—and the body’s inability to generate new ones quickly enough to replace them, the quantity of sickle blood cells is lower than it should be.
Reason
Sickle cell anemia is a chronic, hereditary condition. The recessive gene that causes sickle cell anemia is passed down in two copies to patients, one from each parent.
Signs and Symptoms
- Anemia (looking pale)
- Dark urine
- Yellow eyes
- Painful swelling of hands and feet
- Frequent pain episodes
- Stunted growth
- Stroke
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is a blood disorder that runs in families. In this condition, the body makes fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin, which causes anaemia.
Alpha and beta thalassemia are the two primary forms. Thalassemia major, often referred to as Cooley’s anemia, is the most severe form of β-thalassemia, whereas a-thalassemia, also known as hydrops fetalis, is the most severe form of alpha thalassemia.
Reasons
The two forms of polypeptide chains that make up hemoglobin in red blood cells are α-globin and β-globin.
Red blood cell development is abnormal if the body can not produce enough of these chains, which means that the cells cannot transport enough oxygen from the respiratory organs to the rest of the body.
The structure of these polypeptide chains is encoded in genes. When these genes are changed, thalassemias develop. Children who inherit defective DNA or genes from their parents are prone to thalassemias, which are hereditary blood illnesses.
Individuals who receive healthy genes from one parent but deficient hemoglobin genes from the other are merely disease carriers.
Thalassemia carriers only shows the symptoms of mild anemia. However, they can pass the defective genes to their children.
Pernicious anemia
An autoimmune condition known as pernicious anemia occurs when the body lacks vitamin B12, which prevents the production of healthy red blood cells.
Due to the absence or loss of intrinsic factor, a stomach-produced protein, patients are unable to absorb adequate Β12. However, inadequate Β12 supply might also result from other circumstances.
Reasons
Because the body cannot absorb enough B12, a typical cause is a lack of the intrinsic factor.
The absence of appropriate gut flora and a number of disorders that affect Β12 absorption can cause the intestines to be unable to absorb Β12 adequately, which can lead to pernicious anemia.
In rare cases, people who do not get enough Β12 from their diet may develop pernicious anemia.
Hemolytic Anemia
A condition known as hemolytic anemia occurs when red blood cells are broken down and eliminated from the blood stream before they reach their life span.
The loss of red blood cells in the blood can be caused by a number of conditions.
Numerous health problems, including exhaustion, discomfort, arrhythmias, megalocardia, and heart failure, can be brought on by hemolytic anemia. Haemolytic anemia comes in a variety of forms; some are acquired, while others are inherited.
Reasons
The breakdown of red blood cells causes hemolytic anemia.
This could result from a number of circumstances.
These factors can be acquired or inherited. The precise origins of hemolytic anemia may sometimes be unknown.
In hereditary cases of hemolytic anemia, the genes that code for the creation of red blood cells are defective. Various types of hereditary hemolytic anemia are defined by different types of defective genes. However, the body creates abnormal red blood cells in all forms of hemolytic anemia.
Hemoglobin, the cell membrane, or the enzymes (G-6PD) that keep red blood cells healthy can all be impacted by abnormal red blood cells.
Our bodies create healthy red blood cells in acquired hemolytic anemia, but an illness, infection, or other condition can lead these to be destroyed prematurely. Examples include infections, immune system problems, and medication or blood transfusion reactions.
Aplastic Anemia
One type of bone marrow failure that results in insufficient production of blood cells is aplastic anemia.
A number of illnesses, including arrhythmias, megalocardia (abnormal heart enlargement), heart failure, infections, and bleeding, may result from this. A rare yet serious condition is aplastic anemia. If the reason is not found and addressed right once, it might develop slowly or suddenly and tends to get worse with time.
Reasons
Bone marrow stem cells become damaged in aplastic anemia. The real reason of aplastic anemia is unknown in over half of cases.
Toxins like herbicides, arsenic, and benzene, radiation and chemotherapy, medications like chloramphenicol, infectious diseases like hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus B19, and HIV, and autoimmune conditions like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are some of the acquired diseases and factors that can cause aplastic anemia.
Farconi anemia
A rare hereditary blood condition known as Fanconi anemia, or FA, is linked to the bone marrow’s inability to generate red blood cells.
FA is a form of aplastic anemia in which the generation of red blood cells is reduced due to bone marrow damage.
As a result, the body is not functioning correctly.
Furthermore, bone marrow may create a large number of abnormal blood cells in FA. Leukemia and other serious health problems could result from this.
Reasons
FA is a hereditary condition. FA is linked to at least thirteen defective genes.
When a child gets both copies of the defective FA genes—one from each parent—the disease develops.
Anemia does not develop in people with only one copy of the FA gene, although they may pass the defective gene on to their offspring.
Causes
FA is an inherited disease. There are at least 13 defective genes associated with FA. The disease occurs when the child inherits both copies of the defective FA genes, one from each parent.
Individuals who have only one copy of the FA gene, they do not develop the anemia, however, they may pass the defective gene to their children.
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