Know if You Are Anemic
Anemia is a condition in which the tissues and organs in your body are deprived of necessary oxygen because your red blood cell count is too low, or your red blood cells are not functioning properly. There are more than 400 different identified types of anemia, and they fall into three general categories: nutritional, early acquired, or genetic. Although anemia symptoms are basically the same, the treatment varies depending on the type.
Contents
Steps
Spotting the General Symptoms of Anemia
- Examine your level of fatigue. This is the most common symptom of all types of anemia. To figure out whether your fatigue may be related to anemia, rather than being the result of a few nights with too little sleep, think about the following questions. If your answer is yes, you might have anemia.
- Do you feel tired when you wake up in the morning, and throughout the rest of the day?
- Do you have trouble concentrating and doing well at work or school, because you are so tired?
- Do you lack the energy to accomplish basic tasks and chores, or does doing these activities seem to wipe you out?
- Determine whether you feel weak or dizzy. Fatigue can be related to a lot of different conditions, but when it comes along with weakness and dizziness, anemia is certainly something to consider. If you often have to take a seat because you feel too weak or dizzy to stand, you should get tested for anemia.
- See a doctor immediately if you have severe symptoms. Left untreated, anemia can lead to life-threatening conditions. It's important to make an appointment with your doctor if you experience any of these less common symptoms:
- Numbness or coldness in your feet
- Pale skin
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Very cold extremities regardless of temperature
Knowing What to Expect at the Doctor's Office
- Explain your medical history to your doctor. Since anemia shares symptoms with many other conditions, your doctor may need to ask a lot of questions to determine which course of action to take. Talk to your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing and give him or her information about your diet, lifestyle and family health history.
- Get a CBC blood test. Once your doctor has determined that you may have anemia, this test will be administered to determine the shape and count of your red blood cells.
- If the lab results are positive for anemia, they will also tell the doctor which type of anemia you have.
- Your doctor will work with you to prescribe treatment, which varies according to the type of anemia you have.
- Treatment for nutritional anemia is changes to diet, vitamin and iron and supplements or vitamin B-12 injections. Early acquired or genetic anemia may require red blood cell transfusions or hormone injections.
Understanding the Different Types of Anemia
- Check for symptoms of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This is the most common type of anemia, and it can sometimes be corrected by increasing your intake of iron. You may have IDA if you have experienced the following:
- A heavy menstrual flow (iron is lost through the menstrual blood).
- A severe injury during which you sustained a lot of blood loss.
- Surgery that led to the loss of blood.
- Ulcers or colon cancer.
- A diet low in iron.
- Determine whether you might have vitamin deficiency anemia. This type of anemia results from having too little vitamin B12 in the body. B12 is necessary for the body to produce new blood cells and keep the nervous system healthy. You may have this type of anemia if the following is true:
- You have an autoimmune disorder or intestinal problems that cause you to be unable to absorb vitamin B12 efficiently.
- You don't have enough vitamin B12 in your diet. Since this vitamin is highly concentrated in foods that come from animals, vegetarians and vegans may have trouble getting enough B12.
- Ask your doctor about anemia caused by blood diseases. In some cases, anemia is caused by an underlying disease that affects the body's ability to create enough red blood cells to keep the body healthy. To determine whether this may be the case, discuss this with your doctor and undergo the appropriate tests.
- Diseases that affect the kidneys can lower the body's ability to create red blood cells.
- Anemias caused by inherited blood diseases include sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, and a plastic anemia, among others. Some people carry a predisposition for these anemias if one or both of their parents had the condition.
- Acquired anemia is caused by exposure to toxins, viruses, chemicals or drugs that prevent the body from making healthy red blood cells.
Tips
- You can test if you may have anemia at home. Pull your bottom eyelid to see what it looks like underneath. If it's bright red, you're not anemic. If it's paler or white, you should ask your doctor.
- Some people who suffer from dietary anemia complain of always feeling cold. Iron plays a large role in helping our bodies to regulate temperature. Avoid nutritional anemia by eating foods that are high in iron daily.
- Anemia may occur due to a vegan or vegetarian diet with insufficient iron sources, as most Americans get the majority of their iron from meat and/or fish. If you have the symptoms listed above AND are vegan/vegetarian, you have a higher chance of being anemic and may need iron supplements if you choose not to eat meat.
- Although anemia can occur at any age and for both genders, young children and pre-menopausal women have the greatest risk. Post-menopausal women and adult and adolescent men have the lowest risk.
- Pregnancy increases a woman's chances of becoming anemic because the demands placed on her body increase her need for folic acid and iron. Fluid retention may also dilute the red blood cell count. Pregnant women should always supplement their diet with diet prescribed vitamins and supplements.
- Chronic or serious conditions that cause bleeding or swelling increase the risk for anemia.
- Chewing or craving ice (also called pica by doctors) is often associated with iron deficiency anemia or other vitamin deficiency. Being aware of this may help determine if you are anemic.
