Medical Questions » Blood Questions » Question No. 133
| Question: | After a blood test the other day, my doctor said I was a bit anaemic, but not to worry about it. She gave me some iron tablets, but nothing else. What are the causes of anaemia? |
| Answer: | There are hundreds!
Anaemia is a lack of haemoglobin in the red blood cells. Haemoglobin is responsible for transporting the oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, and is bright red, giving blood its normal colour and your cheeks their ruddy glow.
The most common, and serious cause, is chronic blood loss. This may be due to prolonged heavy periods in a woman, bleeding from an ulcer into the gut, a recurrent bleeding nose or a kidney that is damaged.
The body may be unable to produce adequate amounts of haemoglobin due to lack of iron or folic acid in the diet, particularly during pregnancy. Pernicious anaemia occurs when vitamin B12 can no longer be absorbed into the system from the food, and this is also essential for the manufacture of haemoglobin.
Certain diseases may cause red blood cells to be destroyed, and cancer can cause anaemia. Some people are born with errors in their metabolic processes which cause inadequate formation of haemoglobin. Damage to the liver, thyroid gland or kidney can also lead to anaemia. And so the list could continue for several pages!
A simple blood test ordered by your GP will quickly detect anaemia. If anaemia is found, more extensive tests may be done to determine the exact cause of the anaemia before specific treatment can start.
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