Anemia is a condition of the body when blood lacks red blood cells and hemoglobin. Blood is composed of three types of cells: red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells and platelets. Erythrocytes are rich in hemoglobin which carries oxygen to all body tissues.
Hemoglobin gives blood red color. Its binds oxygen and carries it to all body cells. Hemoglobin contains iron – one of the essential trace elements of our bodies. Anemia develops because of a lack of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid.
The most common anemia is when our body lack iron. It composes 80 percent of all cases of anemia. Iron is an important part of hemoglobin so if we lack it, procuction of hemoglobin and erythrocytes is reduced. For a long time anemia does not show any symptoms. A person can can tired quicker, he can be more nervous and become sligtly paler. He can still manage to work, but physical activity becomes tiring, you can have heart rhythm problems, issues with digestion, endocrine glands and nervous system.
Anemia can occure if:
• We don‘t get enough iron with food. This often happens for vegetarians, kids and babies.
• We have an increased demand for iron. This type of anemia often occures for teenagers, pregnant women and people who work out too much.
• Gastrointestinal tract does not absorb iron properly. This often follows some other disease, for example, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers or other chronic diseases.
• Impaired iron absorbtion. This can be related to reduced gastric acidity and other digestive diseases that occure because of the medication we take, etc.
• Chronic bleeding. Blood can be lost because of bleeding gastric or duodenal ulcers, stomac ulcers, malignant tumors of gastrointestinal tract, menstruations, etc.
• Many surgeries.
• Long-term stress, work at night.