What is Anemia?
Anemia, commonly known as paleness (Anemia), is a condition where a person has a lower than normal concentration of red blood cells. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set diagnostic criteria for anemia based on hemoglobin levels in the blood as follows:
- Less than 12 g/dL in women
- Less than 13 g/dL in men
- Less than 11 g/dL in pregnant women
Anemia is not considered a disease but a condition that can result from many diseases and conditions because our body has various factors that help regulate the production of red blood cells to maintain a balanced and sufficient amount in the circulatory system.
Anemia… What are the symptoms?
How do we know if we have anemia?
Normally, our body has hemoglobin in red blood cells that carries oxygen to different parts of the body. Patients with anemia experience abnormal symptoms due to insufficient oxygen supply to tissues. Common symptoms include easy fatigue, weakness, feeling tired when exerting effort, fainting, dizziness, excessive sleepiness, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, chest pain, brittle nails, hair loss, dry skin, and paleness, among others.
If anemia is severe, with hemoglobin levels below 5 g/dL, it may trigger heart failure because the heart has to work harder to pump blood to various parts of the body, eventually leading to heart failure and pulmonary edema. However, most patients have mild symptoms, depending on the acuity of anemia onset. Patients with acute anemia, such as those who lose a large amount of blood in a short time, will have more obvious and severe symptoms than those with chronic anemia over a long period, as the body adapts in chronic cases, making patients unaware they have anemia.
Many patients discover anemia during annual health check-ups without prior symptoms. Confirmation or diagnosis requires a complete blood count (CBC) test. It is not necessary to fast or avoid drinking water before blood sampling.
Causes of Anemia
The causes of anemia can be divided into three main groups:
- Decreased red blood cell production, such as
- Bone marrow disorders
- Deficiency of nutrients essential for red blood cell production, including iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid
- Chronic kidney disease causing a lack of hormones that stimulate red blood cell production
- Certain chronic diseases such as cancer and autoimmune diseases
- Increased destruction of red blood cells, such as
- Thalassemia
- G6PD deficiency
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Blood loss, such as
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Menstrual bleeding
- Accidents
To determine the cause, patients need to see a doctor for a detailed history and physical examination. Additional blood tests may be required, and in some cases, if bone marrow disease is suspected, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy will be performed.
