What are Anaemias?
Anaemia - "a deficiency in the blood, usually of red cells or their haemoglobin, resulting in pallor and weariness." -- Concise Oxford Dictionary.
Anaemia is the general name for a range of disorders affecting red blood cells. Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, a protein which is responsible for carrying oxygen in the blood.
The function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen to all tissues and organs in the body. This is achieved by oxygen in the lungs combining with haemoglobin, that is then transported via the circulation to every cell in the body, where the oxygen is then released for use.
A reduction of red blood cells or haemoglobin (anaemia), from whatever cause, will result in a reduced supply of oxygen to the tissues and organs in the body, resulting in a variety of symptoms, depending on the severity of the anaemia. The main symptoms resulting from anaemia are tiredness and fatigue, and exertional breathlessness.
Anaemia resulting from iron deficiency is the most common type of anaemia, affecting up to 30% of the world's population. Up to 14% of menstruating women in developed countries have iron deficiency anaemia.
Other types of anaemia include megaloblastic anaemia, haemolytic anaemia, and pancytopenia.
