A low number of red blood cells is called anaemia. Anaemia is a type of disease that can be either temporary or long term and can also range from mild to severe. When we go for a blood test, anaemia in a report comes as low haemoglobin or we can say hematocrit. The main protein in our blood is known as haemoglobin. It carries oxygen and delivers it throughout our body. Your haemoglobin level will stay low if you are anaemic and if it is low enough then there is no proper supply of oxygen to your organs or tissues. Children who are young, women and people with long term diseases are most commonly suffering from anaemia. An anaemic person can feel low, tired and weak a lot of times. Globally more than two billion people suffer from anaemia, which is more than thirty per cent of the population. The US is the most common country where a lot of people suffer from anaemia. There are more than 400 kinds of Anemia and they are divided into the following groups:
Iron Deficiency Anemia
It is the most common type of Anemia in which the person’s blood is lacking adequate healthy red blood cells. The name itself defines why this kind of anaemia is caused, due by insufficient iron. The human body cannot produce sufficient amounts of red blood cells that lead them to carry oxygen, which is also known as haemoglobin, without the presence of iron. This type of anaemia can make you feel tired, low and weak. This is needed to be treated if your doctor is doubtful of internal bleeding
Aplastic Anemia
When your body stops producing enough new blood cells then it is called Aplastic anaemia. The person is more prone to infections and uncontrolled bleeding and this disease leave you fatigued. This type of anaemia can happen at any age. This can either grow slowly and gets worse with the timing or can occur suddenly. Sometimes medications don’t work so the person has to go through bone marrow transplant surgery.
Sickle cell anaemia
This type of anaemia is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there are not enough healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen properly throughout your body. Normally the round red blood cells are flexible and move easily through blood vessels. In this, the red blood cells are in the shape of sickles or crescent moons. They are rigid and sticky cells that can get stuck in the small blood vessels which can slow down or even block the blood flow and oxygen to the parts of your body. Mostly there is no cure for this type of anaemia but with the help of medicine the pain can lessen and further complications can be avoided.
Vitamin deficiency anaemia
Lack of healthy red blood cells that are caused when there is a lower amount of vitamins in your body. Vitamins linked to vitamin deficiency anaemia include folate, vitamin B-12 and vitamin C. This disease can occur if there is no proper intake of food containing folate, Vitamin B-12 or Vitamin C or even if your body is not able to properly absorb vitamins. This disease can be cured by taking vitamin supplements prescribed according to your doctor.
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited disease in which your body contains less haemoglobin than normal. If you have mild thalassemia, treatment is not required, but severe thalassemia might need regular blood transfusions. A healthy diet and exercising regularly can help you to cope with fatigue.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-a-z/anaemia/diseasearticle/84613912.cms
