Anemia Decreases the Number of Red Blood Cells Essay

Anemia is caused by the bone marrow not being able to replace red blood cells (RBCs) that are either destroyed or are taken out of circulation (Porth, 2011, p. 292).

Anemia is a medical condition defined as having low amounts of red blood cells, thus transporting low levels of oxygen in the blood. Common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. Causes for anemia vary, depending on the severity and duration of illness. Regular anemia can result with low levels of iron in the blood. (Mayo Clinic, 2014)

Anemia is a condition where the number and quality of erythrocytes in the blood decreases. There are several factors that may prompt anemia: blood loss, complications in erythrocyte production, increased erythrocyte destruction, or a combination of these. There are different types of anemia, and they are distinguished by size, shape, or the erythrocyte’s substance.

Anemia is a disorder of the blood. It occurs when your body does not produce enough erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs). Without the erythrocytes oxygen can not be adequately delivered to the tissues and organs throughout the body. This will cause you to become weak and tired. A person may also experience headaches, skin pallor, and faintness. Your body may attempt to compensate for these symptoms by speeding up the heart rate and respiratory rate. This is the body’s attempt to return oxygen levels to normal(Thibodeau and Patton, 2005).

The most prominent cause of Iron Deficiency Anemia is bleeding. Blood loss from the Gastrointestinal Tract is a significant cause of anemia for both men and women. When blood is present in excrement, a gastrointestinal problem exists. Many times, people are unaware of these problems with their waste products. When they begin to feel the symptoms of anemia and undergo tests that determine that they are anemic, it begins the process of discovering more health problems. Anemia can serve as the precursor of certain diseases. There are many instances when it is merely a sign of severe disease such as a peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, hemorrhoids, angiodysplasis of the colon, and colonic adenocarcinoma (http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/sep_96/browne.htm).

As a provider, one will care for many patients that have different types of anemia. Anemia is not so much as a disease as a symptom of an underlying issue. Although there can be particular signs and symptoms associated with anemia, the basis of a diagnosis is from laboratory data. For the purpose of this discussion, I will evaluate a case study and give a differential diagnosis. I will also assess how patient history, physical exam, and lab reports support my diagnosis. I will explain the pathophysiology of the type of anemia and give causes and treatment options available.

Iron deficiency anemia, one of the most common types of anemia, is a blood disorder where

* Anemia-related fatigue occurs when there is a decrease in red blood cells (RBCs). This happens when myeloma cells replace RBCs in the bone marrow.

Conferring to the case study 1 of Ms. A, who is suffering from iron deficiency anemia. “People who experience iron deficiency anemia lack adequate iron required to produce hemoglobin. Hemoglobin supports red blood cells in carrying oxygen all through the body” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). In this presentation, the writer will provide rationales where Ms. A is presenting signs and symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia.

blood disorders, such as hemolytic anemia (the rupture or destruction of red blood cells that lead to a decreased amount of red blood cells in your circulation, which leads to fatigue and weakness)

Anemia is a condition in which the concentration of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood is below normal. Hemoglobin is a substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the tissues of the body. Anemia results in not enough oxygen reaching these tissues.

Ms. A is 26-year-old female with a history of menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea since she was 14-16 years old. In addition, she has taken aspirin during menstruation and for preventing and alleviating joint pain during golf season. Her signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, lethargy, light headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypotension. Her laboratory values show low Hemoglobin (HB), Hematocrit (HCT) and Erythrocyte (RBC) but normal in Reticulocyte (REIC) count. According to Chen, Zieve, & Ogilvie (2014, p. 1), the normal value of HB is 12.1 to 15.1g/dl, HCT is 36.1% to 44.3%, RBC count is 4.2 to 5.2 x10/mm and RETIC count is 0.5% to 1.5% in female. The low Hemoglobin and Hematocrit can direct that Ms. A has anemia. The RBC smear can determine her classification of anemia. Her RBC smear showed microcytic and hypochromic cells. The evidence can indicate that Ms. A has Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA).

According to the American Society of Hematology, approximately 35 million people in the United States are over the age of 65, and almost 10 percent of this population is currently anemic. Anemia occurs when red blood cell counts drop, or when red blood cells do not contain enough hemoglobin. In chapter seven of Biology Today and Tomorrow without Psychology, we learned hemoglobin is an oxygen-binding protein in red blood cells that consists of four polypeptides (2-alpha globins & 2-beta globins). Each globin holds a cofactor called a heme, and each heme has an iron

Anemia is a condition that affects one’s blood where there are not enough healthy red blood cells (RBCs). When there aren’t enough RBCs, the cells in the body will not get enough oxygen. This is the most common blood condition in the US that affects over 3 million Americans. Some forms of anemia are hereditary;

A person is said to have anemia when they have a lower than normal red blood cell or hemoglobin count. is less than normal. According to U.S. National Library of Medicine, males should typically have a hemoglobin level over 13.8 gram/100 ml and women should be over 12.1 gram/100 ml. Anything less than these numbers is said to be anemic.