Pernicious anemia is an anemic condition which occurs or happens when an individual's body or the sufferer is not able to absorb enough of the B12 vitamin from their gastrointestinal tract. The human body requires the B12 to produce red blood cells as well as to maintain the nervous system. Chronic alcoholics and the aged are prime targets for this disease as they tend not to eat nutritious meals and have digestive troubles. The main causes are insufficient stomach acid, or Intrinsic Factor, to digest food in the intestine, parasite infections, an overabundance of intestinal bacteria, and medicine. B12 is very hard to digest and is dependent on sufficient Intrinsic Factor to be absorbed from the intestines into the blood stream. In anemic persons, the count of hemoglobin in the blood goes down. Hemoglobin is composed of heme, which is an iron complex, and a protein named globin. If iron is lacking in the diet, then heme will not be formed and so also hemoglobin. The main function of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen to different parts of the body. Hence in absence of hemoglobin, the blood will not be able to provide oxygen to all parts of the body, which will lead in a characteristic weakness. Anemia is a word recognised by many people but maybe not fully understood. If you are anaemic you either don't have enough red blood cells or you have enough red blood cells but they can't carry enough oxygen. You will often feel faint, short of breath and unusually tired and lethargic. By the time I was actively seeking help, I was so bad that I was seeing a cardiologist, gastroenterologist and neurologist as well as my regular doctor! Initially they suspected MS, the symptoms can mimic each other. Even after I was diagnosed with pernicious anemia, Ms was not ruled out until I had my MRI and they could see I did not have it. There are several causes of anemia. This may be due to chronic or acute blood loss, blood dyscrasia, or as a secondary result of another condition like in hookworm anemia, which is the result of parasitism with Ancylostoma doudenale and Necatur americanus. The symptoms of anemia include tiredness, headaches, and generally feeling irritable. These symptoms can be severe, but are sometimes overlooked by doctors who assume the symptoms are due to other existing conditions, or the after effects of medication. This means a person's anemia could go undiagnosed and without treatment, and so the tiredness, headaches and irritation remain, getting worse with time. There are several classifications for Anaemia and each requires a specific kind of treatment. Understanding the various classifications can help you understand the treatment options available and also prevent various health disorders that result from anaemia. This is a serious, life-threatening inherited form of anemia that mostly affects people of African ancestry. Sickle cell anemia is formed of hemoglobin deficiency causing red blood cells to become sticky, stiff, and more fragile resulting in the form of a curve and sickle-shape, restricting the circulation of blood in our body. Iron deficiency anemia can occur if not enough iron is consumed or it can be due to blood loss - including heavy menstruation. Women require nearly twice as much iron in their diet as men. Additionally, some people may have difficulty absorbing dietary iron. Visit your doctor to make sure.
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