How To Identify If You Have Anaemia

Many people suffer from anaemia which is the most common blood disorder. It is not fatal if treated properly. However, it can give rise birth to other illnesses. Without getting tested, following symptoms can help you in knowing if you have anaemia.

Low levels of red blood cells in the body indicate that you have anaemia. Red blood cells have haemoglobin present in them. This haemoglobin carries oxygen to different tissues in body. However, a decline in RBCs level reduces the amount of oxygen reaching different tissues and cells. This, in result, makes a person anaemic.

Anaemia symptoms vary from person to person. So, it can be difficult to identify if you are anaemic. As the symptoms can be mild or acute, anaemia treatment can be different for different people.

Types of Anaemia:

A person can have:

1. Hemolytic anaemia

2. Pernicious anaemia

3. Sickle cell anaemia

4. Aplastic anaemia

No matter what the type of anaemia is, all of them are related to red blood corpuscles. So, anaemia management requires proper diagnosis, treatment, and routine check-ups.

Identifying If You Have Anaemia:-

Anaemia can become a potential threat if left undiagnosed and untreated. So, here’s a list of common anaemia symptoms. These can help you in ascertaining if you have this particular condition or not.

1.  Dizziness:

You should get yourself immediately checked if you constantly feel dizzy. Red blood cell deficiency causes low energy levels due to lack of oxygen. So, the reason you might be light-headed can be linked to anaemia.

2.  Pale Skin:

One of the reasons for your skin getting pale could be less haemoglobin in your blood. Since this oxygen-carrying protein is already scarce in body, blood will move away from the skin. It will go towards other major organs performing major functions. This, in result, will make your skin pale.

3.  Menstruation: 

Women menstruate every month losing lots of red cells. But this is alarming if you have been experiencing heavy periods. You are losing blood more than the regular amount. Hence, body can not make up for the lost cells very quickly. Thus, making you anaemic.

4.  Iron Deficient Diet:

Keeping an eye on your diet is very important. A balanced diet has all the crucial minerals and nutrients. Iron is one of them. So if your diet lacks iron, it is very much possible that you are anaemic. Since Iron is needed to form haemoglobin, your body must have acceptable levels of it. Having a healthy diet is an important part of anaemia management.

5.  Irregular Beating of Heart:

It is also termed as “Palpitations”. Since there is not enough blood supply to the heart, it will have to work twice as much as it would normally. So, heart will start beating faster than usual. This will make you breathless as heart is pumping blood rapidly. So, anaemia also causes chest pain.

6.  Internal Injury:

An accident might have caused you to lose blood without you knowing. That is, you might have gotten a hemorrhage. Your blood vessel might have ruptured. Thus this internal bleeding can make you anaemic because of excessive blood loss.

7.  Infection:

Different kinds of infections affect body in their own way. If you have an infection that can act on bone marrow, chances are that you might be anaemic. Bone marrow is actively involved in producing red blood cells. So, any damage to it can cause a certain type of anaemia.

8.  Headaches:

Brain requires an adequate amount of oxygen to function properly. When there’s a shortage of red blood cells, arteries in the head start to swell. This result in pain and headaches. But to be sure if your headache is related to anaemia, you will have to visit a doctor.

9.  Cold Extremities:

If your hands and feet start to become cold more often than usual, you are likely to be anaemic. The reason for this is that your heart and other major organs require more blood than other body parts. Due to anaemia, red blood cells reaching your extremities will be less. This can result in feeling cold.

Other Symptoms:

Here are some of the uncommon symptoms of anaemia:

•  Burning tongue
•  Jaundice
•  Brittle nails
•  Enlarged spleen and lymph nodes
•  Fainting

Treatment of Anaemia:

If you are feeling any of the above-mentioned symptoms, there’s a chance you are anaemic. It means you require medical assistance. Consult a doctor as soon as you can and have them run some tests. It can be treated depending on the type you have. Anaemia treatment can range from taking a few supplements to undergoing a medical procedure.

Managing your Anaemia:

After getting your blood cell deficiency diagnosed and treated, you are still required to manage anaemia in case it’s lifelong. Anaemia management requires:

1. Making sure your diet is rich in Iron, Vitamin B12, and other minerals.

2. Avoiding getting infections as much as possible.

3. Looking out for any new symptoms.

4. Getting checked for any deficiency.

5. Routine check-ups every once in a while.

Conclusion:

Health should be a top priority for everyone. So, always get alert when you notice something different and unusual in your body. Anaemia should be taken as seriously as any other disease. It is curable but can become fatal if neglected and not properly treated. Be conscious of your health and visit your health care provider whenever you are not feeling well.