Anemia: Causes And Treatments

 

In some cases of anemia, a blood transfusion may be necessary

Anemia - or low blood count - occurs when the blood contains too few red blood cells (erythrocytes) or too little red blood pigment. This deficiency leads to a poorer supply of oxygen to the body.

Hemoglobin, the red blood pigment, is part of the red blood cells. It transports the oxygen from the lungs to the entire body and on the way back it takes carbon dioxide back to the lungs, which exhale it. If there is a lack of hemoglobin, the oxygen supply to the important organs is impaired, one speaks of anemia or anemia. The blood count shows anemia with hemoglobin values ​​below 12 g/dl in women and below 13 g/dl in men. This manifests itself in general tiredness, limited physical performance, shortness of breath and palpitations, headaches, difficulty concentrating and paleness. Anemia can have various causes.

 

Common causes of anemia

Iron deficiency

Among other things, iron is involved in the formation of the red blood pigment hemoglobin and thus in the transport of oxygen in the body. Iron deficiency occurs when people do not get enough iron in their diet or when the intestines do not absorb enough iron. Another cause of anemia is heavy or repeated blood loss. Therefore, women of childbearing age are particularly affected by iron deficiency anemia, who regularly lose blood due to their periods.

 

Treatment: It is difficult to remedy an existing deficiency simply by eating foods containing iron (legumes, nuts and oil seeds, green vegetables, liver, etc.). Iron-containing tablets or injections are used for acute treatment.

Vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency

The lifespan of red blood cells is relatively short at 120 days. The bone marrow must therefore constantly supply the body with new red blood cells. However, this is only possible if the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow can multiply. Vitamin B12 and folic acid are necessary for this. If there is an undersupply of these substances, cell division in the body and thus erythrocyte production is impaired. Pregnant women, but also people who consume a lot of alcohol, have an increased need for folic acid, which they cannot always cover through food.

 

Treatment: As with iron deficiency, the stores are replenished with the help of tablets or injections.

Pernicious anemia

This form is a special case of anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency. The deficiency occurs due to a disease that attacks the lining of the stomach. Under normal conditions, this forms a messenger substance (intrinsic factor) without which the intestine cannot absorb the vitamin B12 in food. Without this messenger substance, even people who take in enough vitamin B12 through food cannot use it.

 

Treatment: Vitamin B-12 tablets are usually not useful here. The affected person must go to the doctor at regular intervals to have the vitamin injected.

Renal anemia

The cause of this form is a lack of erythropoietin. This messenger substance is formed in the kidneys. It stimulates the development of red blood cells in the bone marrow. In kidney diseases, the kidneys often produce too little erythropoietin and thus inhibit the formation of erythrocytes. During blood washing, dialysis patients also lose iron and folic acid, which are essential for blood formation.

 

Treatment: In the case of renal anemia, the doctor injects a drug that contains the missing neurotransmitter erythropoietin.

Anemias due to inflammation and tumors - "anemia of chronic disease"

Chronic inflammatory and tumor diseases are also common causes of anemia. Due to the disease, the body releases messenger substances that inhibit iron absorption in the intestine and iron utilization for the formation of the red blood pigment. The cells in the bone marrow also respond less well to the messenger substance erythropoietin, which stimulates the formation of red blood cells in the bone marrow.

 

Treatment: In the course of therapy, the underlying disease is primarily treated. This can also improve anemia.

 

Rarer causes of anemia

Thalassemia

The red blood pigment hemoglobin consists of four subunits, the so-called globin chains. Thalassemia is an inherited disorder that inhibits the formation of certain globin chains . This form of anemia is caused by a change in the composition of the red blood pigment, which also affects the red blood cells. They are formed in small amounts, are smaller than in healthy people, and have a shorter lifespan.

 

Treatment: Depending on the degree of severity, observation is sometimes sufficient or repeated transfusions with red blood cells must be administered and medication must be taken to counteract the associated iron overload. The only treatment that can lead to a definitive cure is bone marrow transplantation. This is only carried out in very severe cases.

Aplastic anemia

This relatively rare form is due to severe damage to the bone marrow that prevents blood cell production. This is probably due to a dysregulation of the immune system. The body's defenses are directed against the blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow. Viral infections or radiation are also considered possible causes.

 

Treatment: Again, treatment depends on how severe the symptoms are. In some cases, blood transfusions are sufficient. In the case of a severe course, therapy that suppresses the immune system may be necessary, and in the case of a particularly severe course, even a transfer of stem cells from a healthy donor.

Hemolytic Anemias

The body can destroy its own red blood cells for a variety of reasons. Here not only the signs of anemia but also jaundice are recognizable. Incorrectly formed antibodies directed against the erythrocytes are usually the cause.

 

Treatment: In order to stop the formation of false antibodies, a therapy that suppresses the immune system is administered (usually cortisone at the beginning)

Other rare causes of anemia

If none of the causes of anemia listed above can be determined, your doctor will be able to determine in further examinations whether other rare forms of anemia are present or whether the anemia is part of a general blood disease. In this case, not only the red blood cells but also the white and platelets are usually affected by changes.