Anemia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Hi, thank you for coming back for the latest edition of Beyond Primary Care’s blog- Anemia: causes, symptoms, and treatment. In Beyond Primary Care blogs we highlight healthcare news, advice for medical conditions, and how membership for care works! Beyond Primary Care is an insurance free, membership based family medicine clinic. Beyond Primary Care is the highest rated Direct Primary Care clinic serving patients in Ann Arbor and throughout Washtenaw, Livingston, and Wayne counties giving families and employers peace of mind about healthcare costs by providing affordable and accessible primary care services.

In this blog post, we wanted to introduce our patients and prospective patients on anemia causes, diagnosis, and treatment. 

What is Anemia

In a typical blood draw, your doctor may have a test completed called a complete blood count (CBC) that indicates the number of red blood cells (erythrocytes) you have in your body. Red blood cells carry hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein that attaches to oxygen in the lungs and carries it to tissues throughout the body. Hemoglobin is a power-house protein, because on the way back from those tissues it just supplied, the hemoglobin picks up carbon dioxide (a waste product of metabolism) and transfers it back into your lungs to be exhaled. 

Anemia occurs when your body does not have enough red blood cells or when your red blood cells do not function properly. This means your body is not getting sufficient oxygen and also not eliminating enough carbon dioxide. 

Types of Anemia

Anemia can have different causes including iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, folate deficiency. These nutrients are necessary for hemoglobin and red blood cell production. A recent study showed nearly 40 percent of girls and young women don’t get enough iron, most likely due to menstruation. Chronic blood loss- either through vomit, urine, or stool- can cause anemia. The chronic blood loss may also occur in females with heavy menstrual periods. This is called menorrhagia, and can diminish your body’s iron stores. 

Anemia can also be the result of sudden blood loss, as in the case of serious traumatic accidents or from complications such as surgeries.Individuals may also be anemic because of reduced production of red blood cells. Medical conditions that affect the bone marrow, such as certain infections, chronic illness, kidney disease, and arthritis may suppress the bone marrows production of red blood cells. 

How is Anemia Diagnosed

Anemia is diagnosed by your doctor after a review of of your medical history, the findings from a physical exam, and lastly with a blood test showing a diminished hemoglobin levels. These levels include:

• Men hemoglobin values less than 13.5 gm/dL

• Woman hemoglobin values less than 12.0 gm/dL

• Children hemoglobin values vary with age.

Anemia Symptoms

Your body is made up of tissues and organs, such as muscles, brain, heart, and lungs. When you are anemic and your blood’s ability to carry oxygen is reduced, the following signs and symptoms may be experienced:

• Pale Skin

• Fatigue

• Brittle nail

• Dry hair and skin

• Weakness

• Shortness of breath

• Dizziness

• Fast or irregular heartbeat

• Headache

• Cold hands or feet

• Chest pain

Anemia Treatment

Treatment will depend on the cause and type of your anemia. It is important for your doctor to treat the underlying condition. As example, if the anemia is due to heavy menstrual bleeding, you should support the low blood and iron levels by eating a diet rich in iron, such as red meat, liver, and other organ meat, seafood, beans, spinach, dried apricots, and iron-fortified cereal. When necessary, your doctor may recommend mineral supplements such as ferrous sulfate.

A blood transfusion may also be necessary for people with severe anemia. Still, there are other times your anemia requires additional support from a doctor who specializes in blood-based disorders such as a Hematologist.

Thank you for reading
If you’re concerned about any of the above symptoms and would like an evaluation, consider making an appointment with Dr. Jeff O’Boyle at Beyond Primary Care. Please see our scheduling link.