Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia

<h2><span style="color: #00826a;">What is autoimmune hemolytic anemia?</span></h2>
<p>Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia. Anemia is the medical term for when a person has too few red blood cells. Red blood cells are the cells in your blood that carry oxygen. If you have too few red blood cells, your body might not get all the oxygen it needs.</p>
<p>Autoimmune hemolytic anemia happens due to problems with the body&#8217;s infection-fighting system, called the &#8220;immune system.&#8221; Normally, the immune system kills germs. If something goes wrong and the immune system starts to attack healthy cells, this is called an &#8220;autoimmune&#8221; response. If your immune system attacks and destroys your red blood cells, you get autoimmune hemolytic anemia.</p>
<p>In many cases, doctors don&#8217;t know what causes the condition. But sometimes it is related to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Infections such as pneumonia and mononucleosis (also called &#8220;mono&#8221;).</li>
<li>Certain types of cancer, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), multiple myeloma, and lymphoma. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects cells of the immune system.</li>
<li>Autoimmune diseases such as lupus – In people with lupus, the immune system can attack cells and organs all over the body.</li>
<li>Certain medicines, including some antibiotics</li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="color: #00826a;">What are the symptoms of autoimmune hemolytic anemia?</span></h2>
<p>The symptoms are the same as in other types of anemia. They might include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Pale skin or a pale color in the tissue that lines the inside of the eyelids – You can see this tissue (called &#8220;conjunctiva&#8221;) by gently pulling down your lower eyelid. The tissue will appear pale instead of its normal, pinkish-red color.</li>
<li>Feeling very tired</li>
<li>A fast heartbeat</li>
<li>Breathing difficulty</li>
<li>Headache and muscle pains</li>
<li>Some types of autoimmune hemolytic anemia can cause other kinds of symptoms, such as reddish or brown urine.</li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="color: #00826a;">Is there a test for autoimmune hemolytic anemia?</span></h2>
<p>Yes. Doctors use blood tests to check for autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The most important one is called the direct antiglobulin test (also called the DAT or &#8220;Coombs test&#8221;). This test checks for signs of an immune attack on your red blood cells.</p>
<h2><span style="color: #00826a;">How is autoimmune hemolytic anemia treated?</span></h2>
<p>Treatments can include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Medicines that make your body&#8217;s immune system less active, such as prednisolone, are usually the first thing doctors try.</li>
<li>Other medicines, such as cyclophosphamide (brand name: Cytoxan) or rituximab (brand name: Rituxan), may be needed if the treatments listed above are not working well.</li>
<li>If the autoimmune hemolytic anemia is due to a condition like CLL or lupus, treatment of that condition might also treat the anemia.</li>
</ul>
<p>If the anemia is very severe, it might be treated with blood transfusions. If it does not get better, your doctor might suggest surgery to remove an organ called the spleen. This surgery is called &#8220;splenectomy.&#8221;</p>


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