Anemia Risk: What Are The Signs? - Bright Hub
Updated: Oct 3, 2022
Anemia is a condition that causes the body to have fewer red blood cells than usual. This can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness. There are many risk factors for anemia, some of which may surprise you. In this article, we'll look at some common risk factors that put people at higher risk for anemia and what you can do if you think you may be experiencing symptoms of anemia or another related disease.
Iron deficiency is the most common type of anemia.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, iron deficiency is the most common type of anemia. It occurs when you don't have enough iron in your body to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen throughout your body so that your organs can function correctly. Several factors can cause iron deficiency; however, it often occurs alongside anemia due to blood loss or infection.
Anemia is defined as having low levels of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), or platelets in the bloodstream, depending on which form of anemia you have. Anemia is caused by either a lack of RBCs or too many WBCs that consume all available RBCs through normal processes like fighting off infections or healing wounds from injuries like cuts and burns. The following symptoms are associated with both types:
-Fatigue or feeling tired all the time
-Lack of energy
-Headaches or migraines
Anemia women have an increased risk because of pregnancy and menstruation.
Women of all ages have an increased risk for anemia due to pregnancy and menstruation. Pregnancy is one of the most common causes of iron deficiency, especially during the third trimester. As you may already know, there is a lot of blood loss when pregnant due to the baby growing inside your uterus. The good news is that once your baby has been born, your body will stop bleeding and eventually return to normal levels.
Menstrual blood loss can also cause anemia in women, similar to losing blood from a cut or wound (bleeding). If you have heavy periods or if they last longer than seven days, then this can be dangerous because it leads to less oxygen reaching vital organs such as the brain, which needs lots of oxygen every day so think about how much worse things would get if there were no oxygen at all!
If you have had a low birth weight baby, you may have a high risk for anemia.
If you have had a low birth weight baby, you may have a high risk for anemia. It is estimated that as many as 20 percent of babies in the United States are born with anemia. This condition can occur if your baby is born with too little iron or other nutrients in his body, which makes it difficult for him to grow properly and develop normally.
Anemia also is common among premature infants because their blood counts are lower than usual at birth. Anemia occurs when there aren't enough red blood cells (RBCs) or hemoglobin in the body's tissues and fluids for proper oxygen transport throughout the body's tissues and organs. Several factors: can cause this
low birth weight
anemia present at birth
congenital heart defects
Have you been diagnosed with low blood pressure? This could mean that you are at risk for anemia.
If you have been diagnosed with low blood pressure, you may have an increased risk of anemia. There is a well-known connection between the two conditions.
Anemia is a condition that occurs when the body does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen throughout the body. It can lead to several health problems if left untreated.
Low blood pressure means that your heart pumps less blood per heartbeat than it should (which can cause dizziness) and that there are issues moving nutrients around in your body. This makes it difficult for your organs, like the brain and kidneys, to function correctly because they also need these nutrients for proper functioning!
Have you ever had gastric bypass surgery? You may be at higher risk for anemia than the general population.
If you have ever undergone gastric bypass surgery, you may be at higher risk for anemia than the general population. Gastric bypass surgery is a type of weight loss surgery that involves stapling, shortening, and rerouting part of the small intestine to reduce the absorption of calories from food and bypassing some parts of your stomach to reduce its capacity. This procedure can lead to vitamin deficiencies that cause anemia because it reduces your body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Gastric bypass is one of the most common bariatric procedures annually by surgeons in North America. It's often used as part of a treatment plan for patients who are severely obese or morbidly obese (having a BMI greater than 40).
Risk factors put certain people at higher risk for anemia and related diseases.
Risk factors put certain people at higher risk for anemia and related diseases.
Women: Women are more likely to develop anemia than men because they begin menstruating at a younger age and have longer menstrual cycles. In addition, women experience hormonal changes during pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. These hormonal changes can cause iron deficiency in some women by inhibiting the absorption of dietary iron or stimulating the production of substances that impede absorption (e.g., hepcidin). Iron supplementation is often recommended before conception and during pregnancy to prevent maternal anemia from developing due to increased demand on the mother's body while carrying a child, as well as provide enough iron stores in her body after giving birth so she can produce plenty of breast milk without experiencing symptoms such as fatigue or feeling weak all day long.* Low-income individuals: Because low-income families may not be able to afford nutritious foods such as meat or fish several times per week, many children grow up with fewer red blood cells than normal children.* People who take medications that interfere with copper absorption (such as antacids).
Conclusion
If you have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, your doctor may recommend taking iron supplements. If not, they may prescribe other treatments such as injections of synthetic erythropoietin, which stimulates the bone marrow to create more red blood cells, or transfusions of red blood cells from donors who have been matched based on their ABO type and Rh factor status (Rh positive or negative). The best way to prevent anemia is by making sure that your diet contains enough iron and other nutrients needed for healthy red blood cell production. If these preventative measures fail, then it's time for treatment!