Anemia is a blood disorder caused by lack or abnormality of hemoglobin, the pigment-carrying red blood cells. There are four main types of anemia based on the cause, ie, iron deficiency anemia, megaloblastic anemia, crescent-cell anemia (sickle-cell anemia), and thalassemia.
Patients with anemia generally have typical symptoms, such as feeling tired and faint, pale skin, shortness of breath with light work, and palpitations. This is due to decreased blood oxygen-carrying power, as well as body tissue that may not receive enough oxygen.
Here is an explanation about the four types of anemia, as described Dr Mirriam Stoppard in his book "Family Health Guide":
Iron deficiency anemia
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. This type of anemia is often caused by loss of iron through bleeding constantly.
Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin. If not enough iron available, hemoglobin production and incorporation into red blood cells in the bone marrow will be reduced.
The result, there is little that can bind to hemoglobin with oxygen in the lungs and carried to body tissues. As a result, the network is not receiving enough oxygen.
Megaloblastic anemia
Megaloblastic anemia is a type of anemia resulting from vitamin B12 deficiency or folic acid. This has two important vitamins essential role in the production of healthy red blood cells. Deficiency of one vitamin can cause megaloblastic anemia that occurs because of abnormal red blood cells are large (megaloblas) formed in the bone marrow and the production of normal red blood cells decreased.
Crescent-cell anemia
Crescent-cell anemia (sickle cell anemia) is an inherited disorder caused by the abnormal form of hemoglobin in the blood.
Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells. This protein takes oxygen from the blood and carried berbgai body parts.
Crescent-cell anemia occurs if the abnormal hemoglobin causes red blood cells change shape resembles a crescent moon due to low oxygen levels. This will cause a crisis of crescent cells, namely joint pain and abdominal weight.
Congenital abnormalities of the crescent-cell anemia disease is recessive, ie both parents carry an abnormal gene on their own but in a healthy condition.
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is a congenital form of anemia. Most cases of thalassemia occurs in people of Mediterranean region but can also attack the people of India and Southeast Asia. thalassemia revealed to the child if both parents carry the defective gene.
On thalassemia, the body can not make normal hemoglobin, the substance in the blood that makes red blood cells and carry oxygen throughout the body.
These abnormalities appear when a baby about three months old showing symptoms of severe anemia.
