by B. Stone

Created on: December 18, 2008

Anemia is the most common blood disorder, affecting 3.5 million Americans today. Often the symptoms of anemia go unnoticed, but chronic anemia can be detrimental to the human body, and some of the more severe types of anemia can lead to serious problems, even death.

The term anemia originated in ancient Greek, meaning "without blood". It is a disorder in which there is inadequate hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is the iron-containing molecule that transports oxygen from the lungs to all other tissues of the body. It then releases the oxygen for cell use. About 35% of the make-up of blood is hemoglobin.

There are three versions of anemia; blood hemorrhaging, or chronic or sudden blood loss, red blood cell destruction, known as hemolysis, and decreased or faulty red blood cell production, known as ineffective hematopoiesis.

Symptoms of hemorrhaging depend on if it is a case of chronic or sudden blood loss, sudden blood loss being the most obvious form of anemia, but also the most potentially life-threatening. When the body loses a significant amount of blood, the only treatment is a blood transfusion. Chronic blood loss on the other hand is more difficult to detect. Possible causes are stomach ulcers, hemorrhoids, and cancer, as well as from the use of aspirin or motrin. This form of anemia can also be caused by the natural loss of blood through menstruation and childbirth. SIgns include fatigue, rapid heart beat, shortness of breath when exercising, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, pallor, leg cramps and insomnia. In these cases, doctor's will treat the underlying ailment if possible. With an iron-deficiency from menstruation, supplements are recommended, usually iron along with vitamin C, which assists the body with absorption.

Hemolytic anemias can either be acquired or inherited. If acquired, they can be caused by infections, certain drugs, or toxins from advanced kidney disease. Anemia develops in this case when the breakdown of red blood cells exceeds the production. The spleen is the main organ that removes old or damaged red blood cells, while the bone marrow is where new cells are produced. Normally, red blood cells survive for up to 120 days, leaving around 1% to break down each day. In an anemic person this balance is thrown off, usually because the red blood cells rupture prematurely. Specific symptoms of hemolytic anemia are fatigue, jaundice, and possible heart failure. Treatment with hemolytic anemia includes, avoiding and medication

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