Anemia is a condition in which your body has insufficient healthy red blood cells (RBC). RBCs are responsible for carrying oxygen to the tissues in your body. A person diagnosed with anemia will show signs of weakness, fatigue, paleness, and weight loss. While iron-deficient anemia is the most common type diagnosed, there are other different types and causes of anemia, too, that you should know about.
- Iron deficient anemia
This is a condition where the anemia is caused as a result of insufficient iron in the body. Iron is a mineral that helps produce hemoglobin that RBCs use to carry oxygen to the tissues. Without iron, your RBCs are helpless and do not carry needed oxygen to the rest of the body. This will leave you feeling short of breath and tired all the time. - Aplastic anemia
In the list of different types and causes of anemia, this is a rare yet complicated condition you should be aware of. When you have aplastic anemia, your body stops producing new blood cells. This can happen randomly for no apparent reason, and people of all ages can be affected by this. This condition needs medical attention right away. - Sickle cell anemia
Sickle cell anemia is also a rare condition of anemia. This occurs because of an inherited disorder. Genetically, your body may be designed to produce fewer healthy RBCs than required for healthy functioning. The RBCs produced may look like sickles (crescent-shaped) and can get stuck in the blood vessels without moving through them. This can affect the flow of oxygen to the body. - Sideroblastic anemia
In the list of different types and causes of anemia, this is an unsual condition. Despite having enough iron, the body is unable to use it. This prevents the RBCs from carrying oxygen to the rest of the body. This, in turn, causes too much iron build-up, and the excess causes the production of abnormal RBCs called sideroblasts. - Autoimmune Hemolytic anemia
Here, your body’s immune system starts attacking and killing the RBCs. There can be many reasons for this behavior of your immune system, and the existence of certain autoimmune diseases increases the risk of developing the condition. - Vitamin deficiency anemia
Like how iron deficiency anemia is caused by a lack of iron in the body, vitamin deficiency anemia is caused by a lack of certain types of vitamins. The lack of vitamins like folate, vitamin C, and vitamin B12 can also lead to a lack of production of healthy RBCs in the body.
All these different types and causes of anemia can lead to various health conditions ranging from fatigue to dizziness. It is crucial that you eat a variety of healthy foods to keep your iron and vitamin levels regulated and also start taking medications to regulate the condition.
