Leukemia Overview: Symptoms, Signs, Treatment and Causes
What Are The Different Types Of Anemia?
Although all types of anemia are characterized by dysfunctional or low levels of red blood cells, the causes, severity, and treatment of the different kinds of anemia can vary.
Anemia is a health condition that occurs when you don't have enough red blood cells or when the red blood cells in your body are unable to function properly. Anemia can cause symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
There are many types of anemia, including:
Some can be treated easily and resolved quickly. Other types require more intensive, possibly lifelong treatment.
This article looks at the different types of anemia, their causes, and treatment options.
Although all anemia types are characterized by low red blood cell levels or red blood cells that don't work as they should, there can be significant differences in each type's causes, severity, and treatment.
Anemia is typically diagnosed with blood tests that examine the number, shape, and health of red blood cells. If you receive a diagnosis of anemia, treatment depends on the type.
Anemia typically has three main types, each of which can have different causes:
The symptoms of all types of anemia can be similar and may include:
Let's take a closer look at these three types of anemia in more detail.
In microcytic anemia, red blood cells are smaller than they should be. This happens because your red blood cells don't have enough hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen through your bloodstream and throughout your body.
CausesTypes of conditions that can cause microcytic anemia include:
The treatment of microcytic anemia depends on the underlying cause. For instance:
With normocytic anemia, red blood cells are all the same size, but there aren't sufficient circulating red blood cells to meet the body's needs.
Normocytic anemia most often results from an underlying chronic illness. Less frequently, you may be born with it, or it can be a side effect of a medication.
CausesThe most common conditions that can affect red blood cell production and lead to normocytic anemia include:
The treatment of normocytic anemia depends on the underlying cause.
With macrocytic anemia, the bone marrow makes red blood cells that are larger in size than typical red blood cells. This type of anemia can develop if the body lacks certain nutrients.
There are two kinds of macrocytic anemia: megaloblastic anemia and nonmegaloblastic anemia.
Megaloblastic anemiaMegaloblastic anemia happens when you don't get enough vitamin B12 or folate. If your body doesn't have enough of these nutrients, the bone marrow has a hard time making healthy red blood cells.
Treatment of megaloblastic anemia may include taking vitamin B12 and folate supplements and increasing your dietary intake of these vitamins.
Some people have an autoimmune condition called "pernicious anemia" that prevents their bodies from absorbing vitamin B12. If untreated, pernicious anemia can cause irreversible damage to the nervous and digestive systems.
Treating pernicious anemia usually involves vitamin B12 injections, which are given daily or weekly until B12 levels are within a healthy range.
Nonmegaloblastic anemiaWith nonmegaloblastic anemia, certain medical conditions may affect how easily the body absorbs nutrients needed for healthy red blood cell production. The most common conditions that can cause nonmegaloblastic anemia include:
If you have nonmegaloblastic anemia from an underlying chronic condition, doctors usually focus on treating the underlying disease.
Some types of anemia, including inherited types, can't be prevented. However, some steps to help reduce the risk of other types of anemia. Steps for prevention can include:
Anemia is a health condition that occurs when you don't have enough red blood cells or your red blood cells can't function properly. It can cause symptoms such as:
The different types of anemia share similar symptoms but have different causes, treatments, and severity. Some anemias, such as megaloblastic anemia, can be treated with dietary changes. Other anemias, such as sickle cell anemia, are chronic and inherited.
You can't prevent inherited types of anemia, but you can take steps to help your body get the nutrients it needs to prevent anemias caused by a lack of iron, B12, or folate.
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Is There A Link Between Anemia And Leukemia?
Anemia and Leukemia are both conditions that affect the production of blood cells and bone marrow. While anemia can not cause leukemia, research has shown that leukemia can make you more likely to develop anemia.
If you have leukemia and experience symptoms such as extreme fatigue, dizziness, or paleness, you may also have anemia. Anemia is a condition in which you have unusually low levels of red blood cells.
Leukemia occurs when cancerous blood cells form in your bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells.
There is no evidence that anemia can cause leukemia. However, leukemia can make you more likely to develop anemia. Read on to learn more about the connection
Some types of leukemia are acute and progress quickly, while others are chronic and grow slowly.
The most common type of anemia people experience is iron-deficiency anemia. Low iron levels in the body can cause this. Aplastic anemia is a severe form of anemia that can occur due to exposure to:
It may also be linked to leukemia and cancer treatments.
Leukemia itself can cause anemia. As leukemia blood cells multiply rapidly, little room is left for red blood cells to develop. If your red blood cell counts drop too low, anemia can occur.
Cancer treatments may cause decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting. This often makes it difficult to eat a nutritious, iron-rich diet, which may lead to iron-deficiency anemia.
Anemia can result in 1 or more of the following symptoms:
Your body may not have enough red blood cells for a number of reasons. This includes not making enough to begin with or even destroying the red blood cells that you do have. You can also lose red blood cells more quickly when you're bleeding, whether it's due to injury or menstruation.
If you have leukemia, both the disease itself and the treatments for it may cause you to develop anemia.
Chemotherapy, radiation, and certain drugs used to treat leukemia may cause aplastic anemia. This is because some cancer therapies can prevent bone marrow from making new and healthy blood cells.
White blood cell counts drop first, followed by platelet counts, and finally, red blood cell counts. Anemia caused by cancer treatments may be reversible after treatment ends or may last for several weeks.
If a doctor thinks you have anemia, they'll typically order blood tests to check your blood counts, including white blood cells, red blood cells (hemoglobin), and platelets.
They may also order a bone marrow biopsy. During this procedure, a small sample of bone marrow is removed from a large bone, such as your hipbone. The sample is examined to confirm an anemia diagnosis.
Anemia treatments depend on the severity of your symptoms and the cause of your anemia.
If chemotherapy is causing your anemia, a doctor may prescribe injectable drugs, such as epoetin alfa (Epogen). This drug tells your bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
Epoetin alfa also has the potential to cause serious side effects, such as blood clots or increased risk of death. As a result, you should use the lowest dose possible for only as long as it takes to regulate your red blood cell levels.
A doctor may also recommend that you take iron supplements if you have iron-deficiency anemia.
If anemia occurs due to blood loss, a doctor will need to determine the cause and treat it. As blood loss often occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, a doctor may recommend a colonoscopy and an endoscopy to view your stomach and intestines.
A blood transfusion is sometimes necessary to treat acute anemia. However, while it can treat severe anemia, it is considered a temporary measure and may not be enough to control anemia in the long term.
If you think you have anemia, it can be helpful to speak with a doctor. They'll review your symptoms and order the necessary tests needed to make a diagnosis.
If you have anemia, you can expect to have symptoms such as fatigue and weakness until your blood cell counts are healthy. The symptoms often improve rapidly once treatment starts. In the meantime, trying the following may help you cope:
If you don't experience relief with treatment or you have shortness of breath at rest, unconsciousness, or chest pain, you should seek immediate medical attention.
If you have leukemia and develop anemia, a doctor will work with you to relieve your symptoms. Many treatment options can reduce anemia side effects during cancer treatment. The earlier you seek treatment, the less likely you are to develop serious complications.
Anemia and Leukemia are both conditions that affect the production of cells and bone marrow. There is no evidence that anemia can cause leukemia. However, leukemia can make you more likely to develop anemia.
Anemia treatments depend on the severity of your symptoms and the cause of your anemia. If chemotherapy is causing your anemia, a doctor may prescribe injectable drugs to alleviate symptoms.
A doctor may also recommend that you take iron supplements to treat iron-deficiency anemia.
If you think you may have anemia, it can be beneficial to speak with a doctor. They can review your symptoms, order the necessary tests needed to make a diagnosis, and put together an effective treatment plan.
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