Anemia means you have too little red blood cells in your blood.\u00a0The red blood cells are needed for the body’s various organs to get enough oxygen.\u00a0Anemia can cause you to become tired, dizzy and have a headache.\u00a0Often it is possible to recover the number of red blood cells with the help of drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this text, you can read about the most common symptoms of anemia<\/strong>.\u00a0You can also read about when to seek care and about different treatments.\u00a0There are various variants of anemia.\u00a0The most common is\u00a0anemia due to too little iron\u00a0and anemia caused by other diseases.\u00a0Lack of vitamin B12 can also cause anemia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the red blood cells is to transport oxygen from the respiratory air to all parts of the body.\u00a0Oxygen is needed for most of the body’s functions, such as blood formation, metabolism, and energy production.\u00a0This means that a lack of red blood cells can cause many different symptoms.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Common symptoms of anemia<\/em> are you<\/p>\n\n\n\n The amount of symptoms you get depends on how much you have but also varies from person to person.\u00a0The body can sometimes adapt if the anemia increases slowly.\u00a0Then you only get mild discomfort even though the anemia is severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seek care at a health care center if you suspect you have anemia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seek medical care directly at a health center or emergency room if you have black or bloody stools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the health center, the doctor does a\u00a0body examination.\u00a0You can tell if you have had any previous illnesses, how you usually eat and if you take any medicines.\u00a0The doctor also asks if there is anyone in your family who has or has had any blood disease or other illness that has caused anemia.\u00a0You can also tell if you have seen blood in your stools or if you have other stomach or intestinal disorders or from the urinary tract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You who have menstruation can tell you how often you have menstruation, how much you bleed and if you have intermediate bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may also\u00a0submit a blood test.\u00a0Then the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood is controlled.\u00a0It is abbreviated to\u00a0Hb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the test shows that you have anemia, you may have to submit another blood test to give the doctor more information about the blood’s iron content and other constituents.\u00a0These samples will help you find out what type of anemia<\/strong> you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is a common cause of anemia, you sometimes have to pass a stool test. Then the rectum is sometimes examined as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes an examination of the large intestine with a colonoscopy and an examination of the stomach with a gastroscope are also done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At a\u00a0colonoscopy, a long, flexible instrument is inserted into the large intestine via the rectum.\u00a0At the top of the instrument is a camera that transfers images of the large intestine to a monitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a\u00a0gastroscopy, the stomach is examined.\u00a0Then a long, flexible instrument is inserted into the stomach through the mouth and throat.\u00a0The gastroscope works in the same way as the colonoscope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These examinations are done especially if you have blood in your stool. The purpose of the investigations is to try to find out what is bleeding. For example, it could be a stomach ulcer or a cancerous tumor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More research may need to be done. It depends on the type of anemia you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The treatment for anemia<\/strong> you receive depends on what causes the anemia.\u00a0This means that treatment cannot be started until the doctor knows the cause of the anemia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you have\u00a0anemia due to too little iron, you can get iron supplements at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anemia due to lack of iron can usually be treated with iron tablets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is common to have some side effects of iron tablets. For example, it may be nausea, constipation or diarrhea. To avoid the side effects, you can, at first, take the tablets after a meal. If things are going well, try taking them on an empty stomach, as more iron will then be absorbed into the body. You can get iron syringes instead of iron tablets if you do not tolerate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSymptoms of anemia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When should I seek care?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Investigation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Samples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other investigations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Treatment for anemia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Iron tablets or iron syringes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Treatment of chronic anemia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n