Among the different forms of anaemia, iron deficiency anemia is perhaps the most common (constituting more than 80% of all clinical cases). The statistics now shows that Asians are the group that most prone to this kind of disease, especially young infants, women and senior citizens.
The 3 possible conditions of red blood cells in anaemia are:
1. Enlarged red blood cells
A malignant form of anaemia attributed to vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency
2. Normal Size of Red Blood Cells
This happens in acute hemorrhage such as during a road accident, injury or surgery, as well as in anaemia caused by a combination of other chronic illnesses. The latter could be related to compromised functions of red blood cells due to chronic disease.
3. Smaller red blood cells
This could be further divided into thelassaemia and iron deficiency anaemia. The former is genetically inherited while the latter is owing to lower iron concentrations in the body.
Signs and symptoms of anaemia
1. Pallor: this is the most common sign in anaemic patients.
2. Lethargy and short breath: Also another common sign of anaemia, this is caused by insufficient air capacity oin the body
3. Compromised immunity and susceptibility to infections such as common cold
4. Passion for iced desserts yet intolerant of cold
5. Reduced learning ability: Growing children may suffer from poor concentration due to fatigue.
(extract from Excellent word Jan 2010)
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