What is Anemia?

Anemia is a disorder of the blood. It is the result of very low levels of red blood cells (RBC) and hemoglobin. Their main job is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. When RBC and hemoglobin levels are low the body does not get the right amount of oxygen. This causes fatigue, pale skin, irregular heartbeat, and other symptoms of anemia.

There are several specific types of anemia, including:

• Anemia of chronic disease -chronic diseases can slow the production of RBCs
• Aplastic anemia -bone marrow is not able to produce enough RBCs
• Iron-deficiency anemia -iron is a building block of hemoglobin
• Macrocytic B12 deficient anemia and pernicious anemia -B12 is a building block of RBCs
• Sickle cell anemia -RBC's have an abnormal shape that causes destruction of RBC's and low levels of hemoglobin

Red Blood Cells

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