Anemia happens when there aren’t enough red blood cells or there’s a drop in hemoglobin levels. This condition often makes you feel tired, and it can bring on memory problems and feelings of depression.
Anemia can also lead to hair loss, heart palpitations, dizziness, and a weak immune system. It’s caused when red blood cells can’t carry enough oxygen throughout your body.
Anyone can get anemia, but it’s particularly common in pregnant women and young children. Mild forms might not show any symptoms, but severe anemia can cause fatigue, weakness, and dizziness. You may notice changes in skin color, as well as pale lips, tongue, and eye blood vessels.
If left untreated, anemia can worsen, leading to overall health decline, complications in pregnancy, increased infection risk, and slow physical and mental development in children. Women need two to three times more iron than men.
Anemia is mainly caused by poor nutrition and infections. The most common cause is a lack of iron in the diet. Eating foods high in phytates, which block iron absorption, can also lead to deficiencies, along with insufficient folic acid, and vitamins A and B12. Malaria is a major infectious cause of anemia, followed by hookworms and schistosomiasis. Blood loss and dirty water are other contributors.
Anemia diagnosis starts with noticing pale skin, tiredness, and shortness of breath, all due to lower oxygen levels in the blood. A blood test will measure red blood cells, hemoglobin levels, and the red blood cell count proportion. Further tests might check for certain vitamins and antibodies.
Treatment depends on the type of anemia. Pernicious anemia, from a lack of vitamin B12, is treated with B12 supplements or shots. Iron-deficiency anemia requires iron supplements for about six months, although these can cause nausea and vomiting, so it’s best to take them with meals. Iron can darken stool color, which is normal.
Hemolytic anemia happens when red blood cells die too early, sometimes due to toxic medications, which should be stopped. It’s treated with corticosteroids, iron, and folic acid. Newborn anemia often needs blood transfusions.
Iron can be naturally increased through diet. You can find it in algae (although it’s not a common food), beef (best consumed lightly cooked), shellfish, turkey, spinach, legumes, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and broccoli.