Oxygen is the life-force of human beings and it comes from the air we breathe. Oxygen is transported to all cells and tissues in the body through the blood, more specifically by the red blood cells (RBC) in the blood. RBCs contain a protein called hemoglobin which carries the oxygen. A hormone called erythropoietin secreted by the kidneys signals the bone-marrow to produce more RBCs whenever there is a need for more oxygen (as during strenuous activity) or some condition is causing hypoxia (low oxygen in the body’s cells).
The RBCs are generated by tissues in the bone marrow. The element iron is required to generate both RBCs and hemoglobin. Hemoglobin stores almost two-thirds of the iron found in the body, which is what gives it, the RBCs, and hence the blood – its red color. The remaining one-third of the iron is found in the liver, spleen and bone-marrow. In addition to iron, the body needs Vitamin B12, and folate to generate both hemoglobin and RBCs.
It is also important to note that old RBCs are destroyed and new RBCs generated, all the time. Further, RBCs are round in shape and also must be of a particular size, only then can they slide freely through tiny blood vessels and enable quick transport of oxygen.
Anemia is a condition in which there are not enough RBCs in the blood to transport oxygen. This is indicated by the RBC count, or hemoglobin concentration, in the blood. The normal range for hemoglobin concentration or RBC count varies from person to person based on age, gender, if the woman is pregnant or not, and if the person is having any other health problem. For a healthy adult woman, the normal hemoglobin reference range is between 12 to 15.5 gms per deciliter, while for a healthy adult man, its between 15 to 17.5 gms per deciliter.
Anemia is a serious health concern that affects many people in the world, both in developed and developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 3 women in the reproductive age of 15-49 years are suffering from anemia, almost 40% of pregnant women are diagnosed with anemia, and 40% of children less than 5 years have anemia. Anemia is also quite common among adult men.
Hemoglobin plays a very important role in the general, physiological functioning of the human body. So, if hemoglobin is in short supply, the body cannot function at its optimum level. There is a wide range of symptoms, depending on the type of anemia. Symptoms for iron-deficiency anemia, which is the most common type, include:
There are over 400 types of anemia, which can be divided into four groups:
Bleeding causes loss or depletion of RBCs. The bleeding may be due to:
In this type, certain vital ingredients are missing, so RBC production is impaired, or the RBCs produced have some problem which is why they don’t work the way they should. This includes:
This is also called Hemolytic anemia. In this, the RBCs are delicate and cannot handle the stress of travelling through the body, thereby breaking down or getting destroyed. This can happen due to a wide range of reasons such as infections, venom from animal bites, attacks on the immune system such as Lupus, inherited conditions, enlarged spleen, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, clotting disorders, exposure to certain industrial chemicals, burn injuries, hypertension, certain cancers, and procedures such as prosthetic heart valves or vascular grafts.
Certain conditions can cause long-term inflammation which leads to delayed or sluggish production of RBCs by the bone marrow. These conditions include diabetes, lupus, some infections, hypothyroidism, advanced kidney disease (stage 4 or 5), rheumatoid arthritis, and just old age.
Treatment options are largely medication or drug-based, and supplements. They vary depending on the type of anemia.
Most anemias cannot be prevented. However, iron-deficiency and vitamin-deficiency anemia can be prevented by consuming the right diet, about which a dietician can guide you well.
Reviewed by Dr Suresh S Venkita, Group Medical Director, Kauvery Hospitals
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
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