What is Anaemia?
Anaemia is when the blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin than is normal. Red blood cells containing the oxygen-binding chemical, haemoglobin, is produced and released into the bloodstream each day. To do this healthy bone marrow and nutrients such as iron and vitamins are required. Having too few or abnormal red blood cells or low levels of haemoglobin prevents the body from getting enough oxygen, resulting in fatigue.
There are two main forms of anaemia;
The lack of vitamins such as folic acid and vitamin B12, causes the body to produce abnormally large sized red blood cells that cannot function properly, therefore sufficient oxygen is not transported around the body.
Anaemia usually doesn't present with many symptoms. Commonly occuring symptoms come about due to the reduced amount of oxygen being transported around the body, including tiredness, lethargy, feeling faint and becoming easily breathless. The severity of the symptoms depend on how quickly the condition develops.
Symptoms may appear immediately or develop gradually if anaemia is caused by an underlying long-term condition, such as a stomach ulcer.
Less commonly experienced symptoms include headaches, a thumping heart (palpitations), altered taste, ringing in the ear, feeling itchy, hair loss, sore and red tongue, painful open ulcers on the corners of your mouth.
Anaemia results in the lack of sufficient oxygen available to the body, making one tired, lethargic and easily breathless, often interfering with daily activities. Getting tested can help determine the cause of anaemia, be it iron, Vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency. A diagnosis can indicate the deficiency type and enable effective treatment, avoiding long-term risks such as nerve damage.