Anemia is a process, not a disease, and is the most common disorder of the blood. Anemia occurs when the amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin (oxygen-carrying protein in the blood) in the blood becomes low, causing the tissues of the body to be deprived of oxygen-rich blood. It is characterized by a reduction in size, number, or color of red blood cells (RBC), which results in reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. The blood of an anemic person has trouble carrying oxygen to tissues and organs, in a sense, become "starved" of oxygen and without oxygen, the tissues cannot produce energy to function. In order for the body to stay healthy, organs and tissues need a steady supply of oxygen. There are several kinds of anemia produced by a variety of underlying causes, but the most common and most severe type of anemia, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). Just as the name implies, this form of anemia is due to insufficient iron.

In the United States, 20% of all women of childbearing age have iron-deficiency anemia, compared with only 2% of adult men. The principal cause of iron-deficiency anemia in pre-menopausal women is blood lost during menses. Women are at an increased risk fro iron deficiency because they lose 20-40 mg or iron per month during the menstrual cycle. Inadequate iron needs to be replenished through a well balanced diet. Iron balance is maintained through the absorption mechanism of gastrointestinal tract. Other common causes of anemia include: eating inadequate amounts of iron-rich foods, a deficiency of vita min B-12, a deficiency of folic acid, or poor iron absorption by the body. When the body has sufficient iron to meet its needs (functional iron), the remainder is stored for later use in the bone marrow, liver, and spleen. Iron-deficiency ranges from iron depletion, which yields no physiological damage, to iron deficiency anemia, which can affect the function of numerous organ systems. Iron-depletion causes the amount of stored iron to be reduced, but has no affect on the functional iron.

However, a person with no stored iron has no reserves to use if the body requires more iron. In essence, the amount of iron absorbed by the body is not adequate for growth and development or to replace the amount lost. Iron-deficiency anemia is the final stage of iron deficiency.

There are so many different kind of anemia, along with iron-deficiency such as Megaloblastic (or vitamin deficiency) anemia. This most happens when your body doesn't get enough folic acid or vitamin B-12. These vitamins help your body keep healthy blood and a healthy nervous system. With this type of anemia, your body makes red blood cells that can't deliver oxygen right. Folic acid supplements (pills) can treat this type of anemia. You can also get folic acid in beans and legumes; citrus fruits and juices; wheat bran and other whole grains; dark green leafy vegetables; and poultry; pork; shellfish and liver. Sometimes, with this disease, your health care provider may not realize you're getting enough B-12. This usually happens to someone with pernicious anemia, a type of autoimmune disease. B-12 deficiency may also be more common in people with other autoimmune diseases, like Crohn's disease. Not getting enough B-12 can cause numbness in your legs and feet, problems walking, memory loss and problems seeing. The treatment depends on the cause. But you may need to get B-12 shots or special B-12 pills. Another type of anemia is Inherited blood disease, if you have a blood disease in your family, there is a higher risk that you will also have this disease. One type of inherited blood disease is sickle cell anemia. Instead of having normal red blood cells that move through blood vessels easily, sickle cells are hardened have a curved edge. These cells cannot squeeze through small blood vessels and block the organs from getting blood. Your body destroys sickle cells quickly, but it can't make new blood cells fast enough. This causes anemia. Another inherited blood disease is thalassemia. It happens when the body is missing certain genes or when variant (different from normal) genes are passed down from parents that affect how the body makes hemoglobin. Another is Aplastic anemia which is a rare problem that happens when the body doesn't make enough red blood cells. Since this affects the white blood cells too, there is a higher risk for infections and bleeding that can't be stopped. This can be caused by many things:

· Cancer treatments (radiation or chemotherapy)

· Exposure to toxic chemicals (like those used in some insecticides, paint, and household cleaners)

· some drugs (like those that treat rheumatoid arthritis)

· autoimmune diseases (like lupus)

· viral infection that affects bone marrow or bone marrow diseases

The treatments used depend on how serious the anemia is, and it can be treated with blood transfusions, medicines, or bone marrow transplant.

Iron is responsible for the transport and storage of oxygen within working muscle cells including the heart. Within each red blood cell are proteins called hemoglobin and embedded in each hemoglobin protein are four iron particles. These iron particles give the red blood cells the ability to transport oxygen. Iron blinds to oxygen in the lungs and then circulates the oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body. Inadequate iron availability results in reduced production of red blood cells. Consequently, the red blood cells that do form are small, with less hemoglobin and a decreased oxygen-carrying capacity. The total amount of iron in the body is dependent on intake, loss, and storage of the mineral.

The body recycles iron, so when a cell dies the iron is used to produce new cells. Due to the body's efficient reuse of iron, iron has a relatively small Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). The RDA of iron for postmenopausal women is 10 milligrams; women of childbearing age (11-50) as well as nursing mothers require 15 milligrams, and a pregnant woman requires 30 milligrams. A multitude of national nutrition surveys reports that as many as 90% of women do not consume enough iron. Red blood cells are formed in the bone marrow where iron-rich hemoglobin is accumulated. Typically, the heart pumps oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs, where hemoglobin of the red blood cells binds to oxygen and this oxygen-rich blood circulates through the body to the tissues and organs. The blood also brings carbon dioxide, the waste product of energy production process, back to the lungs where it is exhaled from the body. Red blood cells have a lifetime of 120 days and must constantly be replaced. Since hemoglobin is the main component of red blood cells and the carrier for oxygen molecules, anemia occurs when the hemoglobin supply is inadequate or if the hemoglobin is dysfunctional. The initial stages of anemia normally present no symptoms. As the body's store of iron becomes exhausted or depleted, so does the body's iron supply to the bone marrow diminishes. A decrease in iron to the marrow hampers its ability to produce healthy red blood cells which require iron. If iron stores do not become replenished, full-blown iron-deficiency anemia develops. It can take months or even years to develop symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia, symptoms include- weakness, paleness, shortness or breath, poor appetite, and increased susceptibility to infection is evident. If iron stores are "re-built", symptoms will disappear.

An iron deficit is not necessarily due to poor eating habits; another wise balanced diet may not supply ample iron to women in one of the following groups-menstruating, dieting, pregnant, vegetarian and women who do not eat red meat, as well as women who have trouble absorbing iron from their foods. Menstruation is the monthly blood loss that occurs during menstruation which causes the body to need increased iron. Women who experience heavy bleeding should pay special attention to their iron intake. Dieting is another, since the average American women's diet does not reach the RDA for iron, dieting and decreasing food intake will make it even more difficult to reach the recommended RDA for iron. Pregnancy is another way of increasing the risk of anemia because the iron stores are placed at an increased demand caused by the higher blood volume and demands of the fetus and placenta. Vegetarians and people who do not consume red meat are more apt to be iron deficient. Meat sources of iron, also called heme-iron, such pork, beef and lamb are among the richest sources of iron. Heme-sources of iron are best absorbed and utilized by the body. Non-heme sources such as the iron in beans, grains and vegetables is not nearly as well absorbed by the body.

Absorption which is known as the capacity of the body to absorb iron from the diet is crucial factor for developing iron stored and maintaining functional iron. When the body has trouble absorbing iron foods or when iron is lost through cellular break down, iron deficiency anemia is likely to occur.

Mild anemia does not have any significant long-term consequences. However, as the anemia becomes more severe, there are medical problems, which may arise. The most serious of these involve the heart. Severe anemia may cause a condition called high-output heart failure, where the heart must work harder to provide enough oxygen to the brain and other internal organs. The heart beats faster and increases the amount of blood that is delivered per minute. When this condition occurs in individuals that have existing heart disease, the heart may be unable to keep up with this increased demand, and symptoms of heart failure such as difficulty breathing and leg swelling may occur. Individuals who have coronary artery disease, or narrowing of the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart, may develop symptoms of angina, the pain associated with insufficient blood flow permanently injured, and the women will be at increased risk for a heart attack. Depending on the age of the women and the degree of coronary artery disease, angina may develop with even mild anemia. In severe cases, the heart muscle may be permanently injured, and the woman will be at increased risk for a heart attack.

Anemia takes some time to develop. In the beginning, you may not have any signs or they may be mild. But as it gets worse, you may have these symptoms:

· fatigue

· weakness

· not doing well in work or school

· low body temperature

· pale skin

· rapid heartbeat

· shortness of breath

· chest pain

· dizziness

· irritability

· numbness or coldness in your hands and feet

· headache

Iron-deficiency anemia can be prevented by control of bleeding and restoration of adequate iron supplies by iron supplements. Bleeding caused by uterine abnormalities such as fibroids is often controlled with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (such as ibuprofen or naproxen) or oral contraceptives. Mild bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is controlled either by acid-blocking agents which allow ulcers to heal, or, if the bleeding is from polyps in the colon, by removal of the polyps. Some ways to prevent getting anemias are:

· Eat foods high in iron:

· Red meat

· Fish

· Chicken

· Liver or eggs

· Dried fruits, like apricots, prunes, and raisins

· Lentils and beans

· Green, leafy vegetables, like spinach and broccoli or tofu or cereal with iron in it (iron-fortified)

· Eat/Drink foods that help your body absorb iron, like orange juice, strawberries, broccoli, or other fruits and vegetables with vitamins C.

· Don't drink coffee or tea with meals. These drinks make it harder for your body to absorb iron.

· Make sure you get enough folic acid and vitamins B-12 in your diet.

· If you are non-pregnant woman of childbearing age, get tested for anemia every 5 to 10 years. This can be done during a regular health exam. Testing should start in adolescence.

· If you are non-pregnant woman of childbearing age with these risk factors for iron deficiency, get tested every year:

· Heavy Periods

· Low Iron Intake

· Previous Diagnosis of Anemia

Some women who take birth control pills are at risk of developing anemia because they have less bleeding during their periods. This would lower their risk of anemia. But women who use an intrauterine device (IUD) may have more bleeding and increase their chances of getting anemia. There is also such a thing has having iron overload, that's having too much iron in your system. Iron overload happens when the body absorbs too much iron over many years.

Excess iron builds up in organs, like the heart and liver. Many problems can cause iron overload. It can happen from years of taking too much iron or from repeated blood transfusions. But the most common form of iron overload in the united states is an inherited condition (runs in families) called hereditary hemochromatosis. Signs of early hemochromatosis may include:

· Fatigue

· Weakness

· Weight loss

· Abdominal pain

· Joint pain

As iron accumulation progresses, patients may have these symptoms:

· Arthritis

· Amenorrhea

· Early menopause

· Loss of sex drive

· Impotence (repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse)

· Shortness of breath

Signs of advanced stages of hemochromatosis include:

· Arthritis

· Liver disease, including an enlarged liver, cirrhosis, cancer, and liver failure

· Damage to the pancreas, possibly causing diabetes

· Chronic (ongoing) abdominal pain

· Severe fatigue

· Weakening of the heart muscle

· Problems with your heart rate or rhythms

· Herat failure

· Abnormal skin color, making it look gray or bronze

Treatments depends on how severe the iron overload is. The first step is to get rid of the extra iron in the body. The process is called Phlebotomy (removing blood). It is simple and safe. A pint of blood will be taken once or twice a week for several months to a year, and sometimes longer. Once iron levels go back to normal, you will give a pint of blood every 2 to 4 months for life. Although treatments cannot cure the problems caused by hemochromatosis, it will help most of them. Arthritis is the only problem that does not improve after excess iron is removed.

I have always wanted to find out information on Anemia because i always thought i had it, but was always told by doctors that I don't. My sister has had Anemia since we were kids. I’m just glad that i found out all of this information about it, so that i could comment on my sister's situation. I’m really glad that i chose this topic to write about for your class. I never knew that there were so many different types of Anemia. I always thought that it was just not enough iron in the body, but there are many different ways to acquire the disease and it could happen to anyone. Even the healthiest person in the world. That is what scares me.