What is Anemia?

Anemia is a condition where a person’s body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to their tissues and organs. Red blood cells are like tiny delivery trucks that transport oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.

When someone has anemia, they might feel tired, weak, or dizzy because their body isn’t getting enough oxygen.

There are different types of anemia, like iron deficiency anemia, where the body lacks enough iron to make red blood cells, and vitamin deficiency anemia, where the body doesn’t have enough essential vitamins for red blood cell production.

Symptoms of Anemia

Here are some of the symptoms of anemia:

• Feeling very tired and low on energy, even after resting.
•  Finding it hard to do regular activities because your body feels weak.
• Noticing that your skin has lost its healthy color and looks pale.
• Your heart might beat faster than usual, making you feel a bit odd.
• Feeling like you’re unsteady or might faint at times.
• Getting headaches more often, which might be a sign of anemia.

If you notice several of these signs, talking to a doctor is a good idea. They can help figure out if anemia is the reason and guide you on what to do to feel better, like changing your diet or taking supplements if needed.

Causes of Anemia

Some of the causes are mentioned below:

• One big reason is not having enough iron in your body. If you don’t eat foods with iron, like spinach and meat, your body can’t make enough of these special cells.
• Another reason is when your body doesn’t make a lot of a vitamin called B12. This can happen if you don’t eat certain foods like eggs and milk.
• Blood loss is another cause. If you have an injury or your body loses blood from somewhere, it can make you low on red blood cells.
•  Anemia happens when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells because of not enough iron, low B12, or blood loss.

Treatment of Anemia

• Anemia is when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. It can make you feel tired and weak. To treat anemia, doctors first find out what’s causing it. It could be because of not enough iron, vitamins, or other reasons.
• If it’s due to low iron, eating foods like beans, spinach, and red meat can help. Sometimes, doctors might give you iron supplements if food isn’t enough. If anemia is caused by a lack of vitamins like B12 or folic acid, they might give you those vitamins as pills or shots.
• In more serious cases, like when your body doesn’t make enough red blood cells, doctors might suggest treatments like blood transfusions or medicines that help your body make more blood cells. Remember, it’s important to work with your doctor to find the best treatment for your type of anemia.

Dr. Kailash Mishra
Director & Gastroenterologist Consultant
Prime Gastro Liver Clinic