Anemia

What is Anemia?
Anemia is a condition where there is an abnormally low number of red blood cells circulating in the body. It is the most common disorder of the red blood cells, affecting about 3.5million Americans.
Anemia is not a disease. It is a condition that results from below-normal levels of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the iron-containing pigment of the red bloodcells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues.
There are many different kinds of anemia, each with its own cause. For example, a poor diet can cause anemia. The more severe types of thiscondition are often inherited.
Why Does Anemia Occur?
To understand why anemia occurs, it's important to understand the function of blood itself. Blood is a mixture of plasma (the fluid part of theblood) and cells. Its red color comes from the predominant cells found in the blood, called erythrocytes.
A healthy person has about 5 million red cells in every cubic millimeter of blood. Each cellcontains a protein (hemoglobin) that carries oxygen through the body.
The process of creating and recycling red blood cells is exceptionally complex. Trouble can occur at any point in this process. Ifthe red blood cells fail to effectively transport oxygen throughout the body, anemia can result.
What Causes Anemia?
There are three general causes of anemia:
* Decreased red cell production bythe bone marrow
* Increased red cell destruction, or hemolysis
* Blood loss from heavy menstrual periods or internal bleeding
When you're anemic, your body either produces too few healthyred blood cells, or destroys them faster than they can be replaced or loses too many of them. If your diet lacks certain vitamins and minerals, the production of hemoglobin can slow down.
Types ofanemia caused by decreases in red cell production include iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficient anemia.
If something in the body destroys or attacks red blood cells, the bone marrow tries to...