Pernicious anemia (per-NISH-us uh-NEE-me-uh) is a condition in which the body can't make enough healthy red blood cells because it doesn't have enough vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient found in certain foods. The body needs this nutrient to make healthy red blood cells and to keep its nervous system working properly.
People who have pernicious anemia can't absorb enough vitamin B12 from food due to a lack of intrinsic (in-TRIN-sik) factor, a protein made in the stomach. This leads to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Other conditions and factors also can cause vitamin B12 deficiency. Examples include infections, surgery, medicines, and diet. Technically, the term "pernicious anemia" refers to vitamin B12 deficiency due to lack of intrinsic factor. Often, vitamin B12 deficiency due to other causes also is called pernicious anemia.
This article discusses pernicious anemia due to a lack of intrinsic factor and other causes.
Overview
Pernicious anemia is a type of anemia (a condition in which your body has a lower than normal number of red blood cells). In pernicious anemia, the body can't make enough healthy red blood cells because it doesn't have enough vitamin B12.
Without enough vitamin B12, your red blood cells don't divide normally and are too large. They may have trouble getting out of the bone marrow—a sponge-like tissue inside the bones where blood cells are made.
Without enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to your body, you may feel tired and weak. Severe or long-lasting pernicious anemia can damage the heart, brain, and other organs in the body.
Pernicious anemia also can cause other complications, such as nerve damage, neurological problems (such as memory loss), and digestive tract problems. People who have pernicious anemia also may be at higher risk for stomach cancer.
Outlook
The condition is called pernicious ("deadly") anemia because it was often fatal in the past, before vitamin B12 treatments were available. Now, pernicious anemia usually is easy to treat with vitamin B12 pills or shots.
With ongoing care and proper treatment, most people who have pernicious anemia can recover, feel well, and live normal lives.
Without treatment, pernicious anemia can lead to serious problems with the heart, nerves, and other parts of the body. Some effects of the condition may be permanent.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
What Is Iron-Deficiency Anemia?
Iron-deficiency anemia is a common, easily treated condition that occurs when you don't have enough iron in your body.
Low iron levels usually are due to blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods.
Overview
Iron-deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body.
Anemia also can occur if your red blood cells don’t contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that helps carry oxygen to your body.
Iron-deficiency anemia usually develops over time if your body doesn’t have enough iron to build healthy red blood cells. Without enough iron, your body starts using the iron it has stored. Soon, the stored iron gets used up.
After the stored iron is gone, your body makes fewer red blood cells. The red blood cells it does make will have less hemoglobin than normal.
Iron-deficiency anemia can cause fatigue (tiredness), shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms. Severe iron-deficiency anemia can lead to heart problems, infections, problems with growth and development in children, and other complications.
People at highest risk for iron-deficiency anemia include infants and young children, women, and adults who have internal bleeding.
Outlook
Iron-deficiency anemia usually can be successfully treated. Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of the condition. Treatments may include changes to your diet, medicines, and surgery.
Severe iron-deficiency anemia may require treatment in a hospital, blood transfusions, iron injections, or intravenous iron therapy.
Low iron levels usually are due to blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods.
Overview
Iron-deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body.
Anemia also can occur if your red blood cells don’t contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that helps carry oxygen to your body.
Iron-deficiency anemia usually develops over time if your body doesn’t have enough iron to build healthy red blood cells. Without enough iron, your body starts using the iron it has stored. Soon, the stored iron gets used up.
After the stored iron is gone, your body makes fewer red blood cells. The red blood cells it does make will have less hemoglobin than normal.
Iron-deficiency anemia can cause fatigue (tiredness), shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms. Severe iron-deficiency anemia can lead to heart problems, infections, problems with growth and development in children, and other complications.
People at highest risk for iron-deficiency anemia include infants and young children, women, and adults who have internal bleeding.
Outlook
Iron-deficiency anemia usually can be successfully treated. Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of the condition. Treatments may include changes to your diet, medicines, and surgery.
Severe iron-deficiency anemia may require treatment in a hospital, blood transfusions, iron injections, or intravenous iron therapy.
What Is Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura?
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding condition in which the blood doesn’t clot as it should. This is due to a low number of blood cells called platelets (PLATE-lets).
Platelets are also called thrombocytes (THROM-bo-sites), and they’re made in your bone marrow (along with other kinds of blood cells). Platelets circulate through the blood vessels and help stop bleeding by sticking together (clotting) to seal small cuts or breaks.
Idiopathic (id-ee-o-PATH-ick) means that the cause of the disease or condition isn’t known. Thrombocytopenic (throm-bo-cy-toe-PEE-nick) means there is a lower-than-normal number of platelets in the blood. Purpura (PURR-purr-ah) are purple bruises caused by bleeding under the skin. More extensive bleeding can create a three-dimensional mass called a hematoma (he-ma-TO-ma).
Purpura
The photograph show purpura (bruises) in the skin. Bleeding under the skin causes the purple, brown, and red color of the purpura.
People who have ITP often have purple bruises that appear on the skin or on the mucous membranes (for example, in the mouth). The bruises mean that bleeding has occurred in small blood vessels under the skin. A person who has ITP also may have bleeding that results in tiny red or purple dots on the skin. These dots, often seen on the lower legs, are called petechiae (peh-TEE-kee-ay). Petechiae may look like a rash.
People with ITP may have nosebleeds, bleeding from the gums when they have dental work done, or other bleeding that’s hard to stop. Women with ITP may have heavy menstrual bleeding.
Bleeding in the brain as a result of ITP is very rare, but can be life threatening if it occurs.
In most cases, the body’s immune system is thought to cause ITP. Normally your immune system helps your body fight off infections and diseases, but if you have ITP, your immune system attacks and destroys its own platelets—for an unknown reason.
Types of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
There are two types of ITP: acute (temporary or short-term) and chronic (long-lasting).
Acute ITP generally lasts less than 6 months. It mainly occurs in children, both boys and girls, and is the most common type of ITP. It often occurs after an infection caused by a virus.
Chronic ITP is long-lasting (6 months or longer) and mostly affects adults. However, some teenagers and even younger children can get this type of ITP. Chronic ITP affects women 2 to 3 times more often than men. Treatment depends on how severe the bleeding symptoms are and the platelet count. In mild cases, treatment may not be needed.
Outlook
For most children and adults, ITP isn’t a serious or life-threatening condition.
Acute ITP in children often goes away on its own within a few weeks or months and doesn’t return. In 80 percent of children who have ITP, the platelet count returns to normal within 6 to 12 months. Treatment may not be needed. A small number of children, about 5 percent, whose ITP doesn’t go away on its own may need to have further medical or surgical treatment.
Chronic ITP will vary with each individual and can last many years. Even people who have severe forms of chronic ITP can live for decades. Most people with chronic ITP are able at some point to stop treatment and keep a safe platelet count.
What Is Hemophilia?
Hemophilia (heem-o-FILL-ee-ah) is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder in which your blood doesn’t clot normally. If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time than others after an injury. You also may bleed internally, especially in your knees, ankles, and elbows. This bleeding can damage your organs or tissues and, sometimes, be fatal.
People born with hemophilia have little to none of a protein needed for normal blood clotting. The protein is called a clotting factor. There are several types of clotting factors, and they work together with platelets to help the blood clot. Platelets are small pieces of blood cells that are formed in the bone marrow. They play a major role in blood clotting.
When blood vessels are injured, clotting factors help the platelets stick together to plug cuts and breaks at the site of the injury to stop the bleeding. Without clotting factors, normal blood clotting can’t take place. Sometimes people with hemophilia need injections of a clotting factor or factors to stop bleeding.
There are two main types of hemophilia. If you have hemophilia A, you have little to no clotting factor VIII (8). About 9 out of 10 people with hemophilia have type A. If you have hemophilia B, you’re missing or have low levels of clotting factor IX (9).
Hemophilia can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how much clotting factor is in the blood. About 7 out of 10 people who have hemophilia A have the severe form of the disorder. People who don’t have hemophilia have a factor VIII activity of 100 percent; people who have severe hemophilia A have a factor VIII activity of less than 1 percent.
In addition to being inherited, hemophilia also can be acquired, which means that you can develop it during your lifetime. It can develop if your body forms antibodies to the clotting factors in your bloodstream. The antibodies can block the clotting factors from working. Only inherited hemophilia is discussed in this article.
About 18,000 people in the United States have hemophilia. Each year, about
400 babies are born with the disorder. Hemophilia usually occurs only in males (with very rare exceptions).
People born with hemophilia have little to none of a protein needed for normal blood clotting. The protein is called a clotting factor. There are several types of clotting factors, and they work together with platelets to help the blood clot. Platelets are small pieces of blood cells that are formed in the bone marrow. They play a major role in blood clotting.
When blood vessels are injured, clotting factors help the platelets stick together to plug cuts and breaks at the site of the injury to stop the bleeding. Without clotting factors, normal blood clotting can’t take place. Sometimes people with hemophilia need injections of a clotting factor or factors to stop bleeding.
There are two main types of hemophilia. If you have hemophilia A, you have little to no clotting factor VIII (8). About 9 out of 10 people with hemophilia have type A. If you have hemophilia B, you’re missing or have low levels of clotting factor IX (9).
Hemophilia can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how much clotting factor is in the blood. About 7 out of 10 people who have hemophilia A have the severe form of the disorder. People who don’t have hemophilia have a factor VIII activity of 100 percent; people who have severe hemophilia A have a factor VIII activity of less than 1 percent.
In addition to being inherited, hemophilia also can be acquired, which means that you can develop it during your lifetime. It can develop if your body forms antibodies to the clotting factors in your bloodstream. The antibodies can block the clotting factors from working. Only inherited hemophilia is discussed in this article.
About 18,000 people in the United States have hemophilia. Each year, about
400 babies are born with the disorder. Hemophilia usually occurs only in males (with very rare exceptions).
What Is Hemolytic Anemia?
Hemolytic anemia (HEE-moh-lit-ick uh-NEE-me-uh) is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is up.
Red blood cells are disc-shaped and look like doughnuts without holes in the center. These cells carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body. Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow—a sponge-like tissue inside the bones. They live for about 120 days in the bloodstream and then die.
White blood cells and platelets (PLATE-lets) also are made in the bone marrow. White blood cells help fight infection. Platelets stick together to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding.
When blood cells die, the body's bone marrow makes more blood cells to replace them. However, in hemolytic anemia, the bone marrow can't make red blood cells fast enough to meet the body's needs.
Hemolytic anemia can lead to various health problems, such as fatigue (tiredness), pain, arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), an enlarged heart, and heart failure.
Overview
Hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. This condition also can occur if your red blood cells don't contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). This iron-rich protein helps carry oxygen to your body.
Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, or high rates of red blood cell destruction.
Hemolytic anemia is due to high rates of red blood cell destruction. A number of diseases, conditions, and factors can cause the body to destroy its red blood cells.
These causes can be inherited or acquired. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the condition on to you. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. Sometimes the cause of hemolytic anemia isn't known.
Outlook
There are many types of hemolytic anemia. Treatment and outlook depend on what type you have and how severe it is. The condition can develop suddenly or slowly. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Hemolytic anemia often can be successfully treated or controlled. Mild hemolytic anemia may need no treatment at all. Severe hemolytic anemia requires prompt and proper treatment or it may be fatal.
Inherited forms of hemolytic anemia are lifelong conditions that may require ongoing treatment. Acquired forms of anemia may go away if the cause of the condition is found and corrected.
Red blood cells are disc-shaped and look like doughnuts without holes in the center. These cells carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body. Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow—a sponge-like tissue inside the bones. They live for about 120 days in the bloodstream and then die.
White blood cells and platelets (PLATE-lets) also are made in the bone marrow. White blood cells help fight infection. Platelets stick together to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding.
When blood cells die, the body's bone marrow makes more blood cells to replace them. However, in hemolytic anemia, the bone marrow can't make red blood cells fast enough to meet the body's needs.
Hemolytic anemia can lead to various health problems, such as fatigue (tiredness), pain, arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), an enlarged heart, and heart failure.
Overview
Hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. This condition also can occur if your red blood cells don't contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). This iron-rich protein helps carry oxygen to your body.
Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, or high rates of red blood cell destruction.
Hemolytic anemia is due to high rates of red blood cell destruction. A number of diseases, conditions, and factors can cause the body to destroy its red blood cells.
These causes can be inherited or acquired. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the condition on to you. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. Sometimes the cause of hemolytic anemia isn't known.
Outlook
There are many types of hemolytic anemia. Treatment and outlook depend on what type you have and how severe it is. The condition can develop suddenly or slowly. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Hemolytic anemia often can be successfully treated or controlled. Mild hemolytic anemia may need no treatment at all. Severe hemolytic anemia requires prompt and proper treatment or it may be fatal.
Inherited forms of hemolytic anemia are lifelong conditions that may require ongoing treatment. Acquired forms of anemia may go away if the cause of the condition is found and corrected.
What Is Hemochromatosis?
emochromatosis (HE-mo-kro-ma-TO-sis) is a disease in which too much iron builds up in your body (iron overload). Iron is a mineral found in many foods.
Too much iron is toxic to your body. It can poison your organs and cause organ failure. In hemochromatosis, iron can build up in most of your body's organs, but especially in the liver, heart, and pancreas.
Too much iron in the liver can cause an enlarged liver, liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis (sir-RO-sis). Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver, which causes it to not work properly.
Too much iron in the heart can cause arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), or irregular heartbeats, and heart failure. Too much iron in the pancreas can lead to diabetes.
If hemochromatosis isn't treated, it may even cause death.
Overview
There are two types of hemochromatosis: primary and secondary. A defect in the genes that control how much iron you absorb from food causes primary hemochromatosis. Secondary hemochromatosis usually is the result of another disease or condition that causes iron overload.
Most people who have primary hemochromatosis inherit it from their parents. If you inherit two hemochromatosis genes—one from each parent—you're at risk for iron overload and signs and symptoms of the disease. The two faulty genes cause your body to absorb more iron than usual from the foods you eat.
Hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States. About 1 million people in the United States have the disease.
Not everyone who has hemochromatosis has signs or symptoms of the disease. Estimates of how many people develop signs and symptoms vary greatly. Some estimates suggest that as many as half of all people who have the disease don't have signs or symptoms.
The severity of hemochromatosis also varies from person to person. Some people don't have complications, even with high amounts of iron in their bodies. Others have severe complications or die from the disease.
Certain factors can affect how severe the disease is. For example, a high intake of vitamin C can make hemochromatosis worse. This is because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from food.
Alcohol use can worsen liver damage and cirrhosis caused by hemochromatosis. Conditions such as hepatitis also can further damage or weaken the liver.
Outlook
The outlook for people who have hemochromatosis largely depends on how much organ damage they have at the time of diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment of the disease are important.
Treatment may help prevent, delay, or sometimes reverse complications of the disease. Treatment also may lead to better quality of life.
For people who are diagnosed and treated early, a normal lifespan is possible. If left untreated, hemochromatosis can lead to severe organ damage and even death.
Too much iron is toxic to your body. It can poison your organs and cause organ failure. In hemochromatosis, iron can build up in most of your body's organs, but especially in the liver, heart, and pancreas.
Too much iron in the liver can cause an enlarged liver, liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis (sir-RO-sis). Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver, which causes it to not work properly.
Too much iron in the heart can cause arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), or irregular heartbeats, and heart failure. Too much iron in the pancreas can lead to diabetes.
If hemochromatosis isn't treated, it may even cause death.
Overview
There are two types of hemochromatosis: primary and secondary. A defect in the genes that control how much iron you absorb from food causes primary hemochromatosis. Secondary hemochromatosis usually is the result of another disease or condition that causes iron overload.
Most people who have primary hemochromatosis inherit it from their parents. If you inherit two hemochromatosis genes—one from each parent—you're at risk for iron overload and signs and symptoms of the disease. The two faulty genes cause your body to absorb more iron than usual from the foods you eat.
Hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States. About 1 million people in the United States have the disease.
Not everyone who has hemochromatosis has signs or symptoms of the disease. Estimates of how many people develop signs and symptoms vary greatly. Some estimates suggest that as many as half of all people who have the disease don't have signs or symptoms.
The severity of hemochromatosis also varies from person to person. Some people don't have complications, even with high amounts of iron in their bodies. Others have severe complications or die from the disease.
Certain factors can affect how severe the disease is. For example, a high intake of vitamin C can make hemochromatosis worse. This is because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from food.
Alcohol use can worsen liver damage and cirrhosis caused by hemochromatosis. Conditions such as hepatitis also can further damage or weaken the liver.
Outlook
The outlook for people who have hemochromatosis largely depends on how much organ damage they have at the time of diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment of the disease are important.
Treatment may help prevent, delay, or sometimes reverse complications of the disease. Treatment also may lead to better quality of life.
For people who are diagnosed and treated early, a normal lifespan is possible. If left untreated, hemochromatosis can lead to severe organ damage and even death.
What Is Fanconi Anemia?
Fanconi anemia (fan-KO-nee uh-NEE-me-uh), or FA, is a rare, inherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. FA causes your bone marrow to stop making enough new blood cells for your body to work normally. FA also can cause your bone marrow to make many abnormal blood cells. This can lead to serious health problems such as cancer.
FA is a blood disorder, but it also can affect many of your body's organs, tissues, and systems. Children who inherit FA are at higher risk of being born with birth defects. People with FA are at higher risk for some cancers and other serious health problems.
FA is different from Fanconi syndrome. Fanconi syndrome affects a person's kidneys. It's a rare and serious condition found mostly in children. Children with Fanconi syndrome pass high amounts of key nutrients and chemicals through their urine, which leads to serious health and developmental problems.
Bone Marrow and Your Blood
Bone marrow is the spongy red tissue inside the large bones of your body. Healthy bone marrow makes three types of blood cells:
Red blood cells (also called RBCs), which carry oxygen to all parts of your body. They also remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body's cells and carry it to the lungs to be exhaled.
White blood cells (also called WBCs), which help your body fight infections.
Platelets, which help your blood clot.
Blood cells live for a limited time. Then, they are replaced with new blood cells from your bone marrow. If your bone marrow can't make enough new blood cells to replace the ones that die, you can suffer from serious health problems.
Fanconi Anemia and Your Body
FA is one of many different types of anemia. The term “anemia” is used to describe conditions in which the number of red blood cells in a person's blood is lower than normal.
FA is a type of aplastic anemia. In aplastic anemia, the bone marrow slows down or stops making all three types of blood cells. Low levels of the three blood cell types can harm many of the body's organs, tissues, and systems.
With too few red blood cells, your body's tissues won't receive enough oxygen to work well.
With too few white blood cells, your body may have problems fighting infections. This can make you sick more often and make infections worse.
With too few platelets, you may suffer from excessive bleeding.
Outlook
If you or your child has FA, you face a greater risk than other people for some cancers. About 10 percent of people with FA develop leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
People with FA who survive to be adults are much more likely than others to develop cancerous solid tumors. The risk for solid tumors increases with age in those who have FA. These tumors can develop in your mouth, tongue, throat, or esophagus (the tube leading from your mouth to your stomach). Women who have FA are at much greater risk than women who don't have the disease for developing tumors in the reproductive organs.
FA is an unpredictable disease. The average life span for people who have FA is between 20 and 30 years. The most common causes of death related to FA are bone marrow failure, leukemia, and solid tumors.
New medical advances have improved the chances of surviving FA. Bone marrow transplant is the major advance in treatment. However, even with a bone marrow transplant, the risk for some cancers is greater in people who have FA.
FA is a blood disorder, but it also can affect many of your body's organs, tissues, and systems. Children who inherit FA are at higher risk of being born with birth defects. People with FA are at higher risk for some cancers and other serious health problems.
FA is different from Fanconi syndrome. Fanconi syndrome affects a person's kidneys. It's a rare and serious condition found mostly in children. Children with Fanconi syndrome pass high amounts of key nutrients and chemicals through their urine, which leads to serious health and developmental problems.
Bone Marrow and Your Blood
Bone marrow is the spongy red tissue inside the large bones of your body. Healthy bone marrow makes three types of blood cells:
Red blood cells (also called RBCs), which carry oxygen to all parts of your body. They also remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body's cells and carry it to the lungs to be exhaled.
White blood cells (also called WBCs), which help your body fight infections.
Platelets, which help your blood clot.
Blood cells live for a limited time. Then, they are replaced with new blood cells from your bone marrow. If your bone marrow can't make enough new blood cells to replace the ones that die, you can suffer from serious health problems.
Fanconi Anemia and Your Body
FA is one of many different types of anemia. The term “anemia” is used to describe conditions in which the number of red blood cells in a person's blood is lower than normal.
FA is a type of aplastic anemia. In aplastic anemia, the bone marrow slows down or stops making all three types of blood cells. Low levels of the three blood cell types can harm many of the body's organs, tissues, and systems.
With too few red blood cells, your body's tissues won't receive enough oxygen to work well.
With too few white blood cells, your body may have problems fighting infections. This can make you sick more often and make infections worse.
With too few platelets, you may suffer from excessive bleeding.
Outlook
If you or your child has FA, you face a greater risk than other people for some cancers. About 10 percent of people with FA develop leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
People with FA who survive to be adults are much more likely than others to develop cancerous solid tumors. The risk for solid tumors increases with age in those who have FA. These tumors can develop in your mouth, tongue, throat, or esophagus (the tube leading from your mouth to your stomach). Women who have FA are at much greater risk than women who don't have the disease for developing tumors in the reproductive organs.
FA is an unpredictable disease. The average life span for people who have FA is between 20 and 30 years. The most common causes of death related to FA are bone marrow failure, leukemia, and solid tumors.
New medical advances have improved the chances of surviving FA. Bone marrow transplant is the major advance in treatment. However, even with a bone marrow transplant, the risk for some cancers is greater in people who have FA.
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