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Essay On Anemia

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Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. These cells are the main transporters of oxygen to organs. If red blood cells are also deficient in hemoglobin, then your body isn't getting enough oxygen. For this reason, doctors sometimes describe someone with anemia as having a low blood count. A person who has anemia is called anemic. It can reduce your quality of life and increase your risk of death. Anemia is the most common blood condition in the U.S. It affects about 3.5 million Americans (E medicine 1). Women and people with chronic diseases are at increased risk of anemia (Mayo Clinic 1). Certain forms of anemia are hereditary and infants may be affected from the time of birth. Women in the …show more content…

It also can make almost any other medical condition worse. If anemia is mild, it may not cause any symptoms other than weakness, fatigue, and pallor. If anemia is slowly ongoing, the body may adapt and compensate for the change; in this case there may not be any symptoms until the anemia becomes more severe. After becoming severe the symptoms become more noticeable. Symptoms include: shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, headache, ringing in the ears, irritability, restless leg syndrome, mental confusion, dizziness, fainting, dimmed vision, Low blood pressure, chest pain or heart attack, yellow skin called jaundice, heart murmur, enlargement of the spleen, and a change in stool color, including black and sticky/foul smelling stools, maroon-colored, or visibly bloody stools if the anemia is due to blood loss through the gastrointestinal tract (E medicine 1).
How is the blood disorder Anemia diagnosed? The Diagnosis of Anemia Determining the cause of anemia is very important because it may be the sign of a very serious illness. Doctors can easily detect anemia by drawing a blood sample for a complete blood count. Based on the results of the test and thorough evaluation of the patient, the doctor may order more tests to determine the exact cause of anemia. The complete blood count may be done as part of a routine general check-up or based upon the presence of signs and symptoms that can

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