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Anemia occurs when the amount of
hemoglobin (found in the red blood cells) drops below normal. Hemoglobin is
necessary for the transport and delivery of oxygen throughout the
body. There are many different types of anemia, but we will limit this page
to the most common ones.
The Anemia Screening - Basic
includes:
- Hemoglobin (Hgb).
Hemoglobin is the substance in a red blood cell that carries oxygen. The
hemoglobin test measures the amount of hemoglobin in blood and is a good
indication of the blood's ability to carry oxygen throughout the body.
- Hematocrit (HCT, packed
cell volume, PCV). This test measures the
amount of space (volume) red blood cells occupy in the blood. The value
is given as a percentage of red blood cells in a volume of blood. For
example, a hematocrit of 38 means that 38% of the blood's volume is
composed of red cells.
People often
equate anemia with iron-deficiency. While this is partially true, anemia is
actually any condition where red blood cells are reduced in number or volume
or are deficient in the oxygen-carrying red pigmented protein hemoglobin. In
this scenario, a lack of iron can either be a cause or a result.
Most anemias reduce the oxygen available to the body's
tissues, leading to fatigue, dizziness, fainting and shortness of breath.
This condition usually occurs as a symptom of another health condition.
If you show signs of anemia, detecting and classifying
your condition can help your physician determine what, if any, other
"silent" conditions might be affecting you.
There are nearly one hundred varieties of anemia. Each
can be classified according to its cause:
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Increased
red blood cell destructionoften due to hereditary diseases
Decreased red blood cell productiondue
to lack of iron
Excessive bleedingdue to sudden or
chronic blood loss |
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Recognizing anemia
There may be no symptoms at first, or symptoms
such as:
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Fatigue
Weakness
Pale skin
Fainting spells |
Breathlessness
Rapid heart beat
Appetite loss
Stomach pain |
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Other changes in your iron
status
Iron-overload occurs when the amount of iron
entering the body exceeds the amount of iron lost. Excessive amounts of iron
can be caused by ingestion of large amounts of iron supplements, multiple
blood transfusions or increased absorption of iron from the intestine as
occurs in the inherited disease called hemochromatosis.
Iron overload may cause no symptoms, but the accumulation
of iron can cause damage to important organs such as the heart and liver.
The Anemia Screening - Basic can also help detect conditions
associated with iron excess, such as iron overload or Hemochromatosis. |
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