Symptoms Anemia

Definition

Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells in the blood falls below the norm. The symptoms of anemia are mainly due to the reduced availability of oxygen in the tissues, since red blood cells are essential for the transport of this gas in the circulatory stream.

The reduction of the erythrocyte population (red blood cells are known as erythrocytes), as well as of hemoglobin values (the pigment contained in them with the task of transporting oxygen), can be caused by reduced synthesis or increased destruction (anemia hemolytic) of the erythrocytes, from their functional or structural abnormalities (sickle cell anemia), from the increase in volume (pregnancy, enduring physical activity) or from losses linked to haemorrhagic phenomena (acute bleeding of traumatic origin or related to chronic diseases).

The most common causes of anemia include iron deficiency (iron deficiency anemia) or other nutrients (megaloblastic and pernicious anemia due to folate deficiency and vitamin B12), some chronic diseases (peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis), autoimmune diseases (haemolytic anemia), bone marrow dysfunctions (lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma), pregnancy, poisoning also of iatrogenic origin (some drugs), parasitic infections (malaria), renal failure and hereditary diseases such as thalassemia.