Severe anemia symptoms

Overview Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues. As the name implies, iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin). As a result, iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired and short of breath. Symptoms Initially, iron deficiency anemia can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. But as the body becomes more deficient in iron and anemia worsens, the signs and symptoms intensify. Iron deficiency anemia signs and symptoms may include: • Extreme fatigue • Weakness • Pale skin • Chest pain, fast heartbeat or shortness of breath • Headache, dizziness or lightheadedness • Cold hands and feet • Inflammation or soreness of your tongue • Brittle nails • Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or starch • Poor appetite, especially in infants and children with iron deficiency anemia When to see a doctor If you or your child develops signs and symptoms that suggest iron deficiency anemia, see your doctor. Iron deficiency anemia isn't something to self-diagnose or treat. So see your doctor for a diagnosis rather than taking iron supplements on your own. Overloading the body with iron can be dangerous because excess iron accumulation can damage your liver and cause other complications. To provide you w...

Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common form of anemia, a blood disorder that affects your red blood cells. Iron-deficiency symptoms develop over time. Healthcare providers may treat iron-deficiency anemia by diagnosing and treating the condition that caused anemia and/or by prescribing iron supplements. Overview What is iron-deficiency anemia? Iron-deficiency anemia is a How does iron-deficiency anemia affect my body? Iron-deficiency anemia symptoms happen over time. Initially, you may have low iron and feel fine or have symptoms that are so mild you don’t notice them. Left untreated, however, iron-deficiency anemia can make you feel tired and weak. You may notice pale skin and cold hands and feet. Iron-deficiency anemia can also cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded. Occasionally, it can cause chest pain, a fast heartbeat and shortness of breath. Iron deficiency can cause you to have unusual cravings for non-food items such as ice, dirt or paper. How does iron-deficiency anemia develop? Normally, your body brings in a steady flow of iron from the food you eat. Your body stores excess iron so it’s available as needed to make hemoglobin. Iron-deficiency anemia develops when your body uses the iron stores faster than they can be refilled, or when the flow of iron into your system has slowed. This occurs in three stages: • First stage: Iron stores are depleted. In this stage, the supply of iron to make new hemoglobin and red blood cells is dwindling but hasn’t yet affecte...

Anemia occurs when there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your body’s organs. As a result, it’s common to feel cold and symptoms of tiredness or weakness. There are many different types of anemia, but the most common type is iron-deficiency anemia. You can begin to ease symptoms of this type of anemia by adding iron to your diet. Overview What is anemia? Anemia happens when you don’t have enough How does anemia affect my body? When someone develops anemia, they’re said to be anemic, meaning they have symptoms of anemia, like being very tired or feeling cold all of the time. Anemia affects different people in different ways: • Newborns: Some infants are born with low red blood cell counts. Most newborns don’t need medical treatment for anemia, but some with severe anemia may need blood transfusions. • Infants: Infants may get less iron than they need when they start eating solid food. That’s because the iron in solid food isn’t absorbed as easily as iron in breast milk or formula. Infants with anemia may appear lethargic. • Children: Children do a lot of growing between birth and age 2. Children going through growth spurts need more iron. Children with anemia may develop related problems such as delayed development of motor skills and issues with learning. • Women who are pregnant: Women who are pregnant may develop iron-deficiency anemia, which may increase the chance of complications such as premature birth or giving birth to babies with low birth ...

• Certain forms of anemia are passed down through your genes, and infants may have it from birth. • Women are at risk of iron-deficiency anemia because of blood loss from their periods and higher blood supply demands during • Older adults have a greater risk of anemia because they are more likely to have kidney disease or other chronic medical conditions. There are many types of anemia. All have different causes and treatments. Some forms -- like the mild anemia that happens during pregnancy -- aren’t a major concern. But some types of anemia may reflect a serious underlying medical condition Anemia Symptoms The signs of anemia can be so mild that you might not even notice them. At a certain point, as your blood cells decrease, symptoms often develop. Depending on the cause of the anemia, symptoms may include: • Dizziness, lightheadness, or feeling like you are about to pass out • Fast or unusual heartbeat • • Pain, including in your bones, chest, belly, and joints • Problems with growth, for children and • Shortness of breath • • Cold hands and • Tiredness or weakness Anemia Types and Causes There are more than 400 types of anemia, and they’re divided into three groups: • Anemia caused by blood loss • Anemia caused by decreased or faulty red blood cell production • Anemia caused by destruction of red blood cells Anemia Caused by Blood Loss You can lose red blood cells through bleeding. This can happen slowly over a long period of time, and you might not notice. Causes can...

• Tingling, prickling feelings (also called "pins and needles" or paresthesia) • Muscle weakness • Ataxia: An inability to voluntarily coordinate and control your muscle movements, which can affect eye movement, speech, and swallowing • Digestive tract issues like bloating, nausea, and loss of appetite • An enlarged • Frequent infections • Easily bleeding • Fevers • Tiny, circular red spots on the skin caused by bleeding from small blood vessels ( petechiae) • Nosebleeds • Blood in stool • • Nausea • • Abnormally formed kidneys, heart, lungs, digestive tract, arms, and hands (specific to Fanconi anemia, a form of aplastic anemia) Anemia, especially if it's severe, can strain your heart, weaken your immune system, and lead to other complications. It can cause pregnancy complications or developmental problems in infancy and childhood. When to See a Healthcare Provider If you’ve been diagnosed with anemia and you experience a worsening of symptoms like chest pain, trouble breathing, fast or irregular heartbeat, head to the hospital immediately. If possible, get someone else to drive you. You may be experiencing heart problems, including heart failure. • You’ve already been diagnosed with an underlying condition that can lead to anemia (e.g., kidney disease, • You have a family history of inherited anemia (consider undergoing genetic testing and counseling for it) • You're experiencing a number of anemia symptoms; this could be a sign of a more serious or chronic condition lik...

Low iron levels, or iron deficiency, occur when your body doesn’t have enough iron. This leads to a condition called anemia. Common symptoms include fatigue, pallor, and breathlessness. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen through your blood vessels. If your body doesn’t have enough hemoglobin, your tissues and muscles won’t get enough oxygen to be able to work effectively. Here are 14 signs and symptoms of iron deficiency, starting with the most common. Also, find out how to recognize anemia in children and older adults, and when to see a doctor. This fatigue happens because your body lacks the iron it needs to make a protein called Without enough hemoglobin, less oxygen reaches your tissues and muscles, depriving them of energy. Your heart also has to work harder to move more oxygen-rich blood around your body, which can make you tired. Since However, tiredness that occurs with pallor, shortness of breath, and other symptoms may be a sign of anemia. Summary Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of iron deficiency. This is due to less oxygen reaching your tissues, depriving them of energy. Skin that’s The hemoglobin in red blood cells gives blood its red color, so low levels caused by iron deficiency make the blood less red. That’s why skin can lose some of its color or warmth in people with iron deficiency. A If you pull your lower eyelid down while looking in a mirror, the inside layer should be a v...

The The body also has a remarkable ability to compensate for early Symptoms common to many types of anemia include the following: • Easy • Unusually rapid • Shortness of breath and • Difficulty concentrating • • Pale • Leg • Other symptoms are associated with specific forms of anemia. Anemia Caused by Iron Deficiency People with an iron deficiency may experience these symptoms: • A • Upward curvature of the nails, referred to as koilonychias • Soreness of the mouth with cracks at the corners Anemia Caused by Vitamin B12 Deficiency People whose anemia is caused by a deficiency of • A tingling, "pins and needles" sensation in the hands or feet • Lost sense of touch • A wobbly gait and difficulty walking • Clumsiness and stiffness of the arms and legs • Anemia Caused by Chronic Lead Poisoning Chronic lead poisoning may lead to these symptoms: • A blue-black line on the gums referred to as a lead line • • • Anemia Caused by Chronic Red Blood Cell Destruction Anemia caused by chronic red • • Brown or red urine • Leg ulcers • Failure to thrive in infancy • Symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia Symptoms of sickle cell anemia may include: • • Susceptibility to infection • Delayed growth and development in children • Episodes of severe pain, especially in the joints, Anemia Caused by Sudden Red Blood Cell Destruction Symptoms of anemia caused by sudden red • Abdominal pain • Brown or red urine • Jaundice (yellow skin) • Small • • Symptoms of kidney failure Call Your Doctor About Anemia If...

Your RBCs contain hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein that carries oxygen throughout your body. When you don’t have enough of these cells, or when they’re not functioning as they should, you can feel low in energy, and you may also have other symptoms, such as feeling cold all the time, headaches, and dizziness. • Malnutrition due to a diet low in vitamin B12, iron, or protein • Gastrointestinal (GI) disease that leads to impaired absorption of dietary nutrients • Rapid bleeding after an injury • Surgical blood loss • Slow, chronic blood loss due to gastrointestinal bleeding, bladder disease, or • Congenital (present at birth) RBC disorders, such as • • Chronic liver or kidney disease • Lead exposure, such as from lead paint or contaminated water • Infections, such as Some of these conditions, like traumatic blood loss, cause sudden and severe anemia. For example, some types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, may worsen rapidly, leading to an abrupt onset of anemia. In contrast, lead toxicity or liver disease can progress slowly, leading to a gradual progression of anemia. It is never safe to leave anemia untreated. If you develop any signs of anemia, such as pale skin, headaches, dizziness, or fatigue, you should make an appointment to see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Blood tests can help Blood tests for anemia include: • • • Further tests may be done to look for the underlying cause. Signs of Severe Anemia Anemia can range in severity. Even mild anemi...