Anemia: Signs, Symptoms, and Underlying Causes

Understanding Signs and Symptoms

• Signs: Detected with senses.
• Symptoms: Reported by the patient.

Clinical Features of Anemia

• Reduced oxygen carrying capacity generates a range of clinical features.

Underlying Causes of Anemia

• Importance of recognizing signs and symptoms of the underlying cause.

Iron Deficiency

• Prevalence: Affects about a third of the world's population.
• Role: Essential for hemoglobin formation, affecting blood redness.
• Signs and Symptoms:
  • Pale skin, mucosa, conjunctiva, and nail beds.
  • Mouth-related symptoms like glossitis (sore, inflamed tongue) and angular stomatitis (inflammation at the corners of the mouth).
  • Possible hair loss.
  • Unusual cravings (Pica): Cravings for non-food items like ice, clay, soil, paper, and starch.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

• Role: Essential for red blood cell formation and nervous system health.
• Symptoms:
  • Neurological features such as peripheral neuropathy, often affecting legs.
  • Restless leg syndrome.
  • Spinal cord issues causing weakness, tingling, numbness.

Other Underlying Causes

• Hemolytic Anemia:
  • Caused by the excessive breakdown of red cells.
  • Symptoms include jaundice (bilirubin release) visible in the sclera (whites of the eyes).
• Aplastic Anemia:
  • Bone marrow dysfunction leading to pancytopenia.
  • Risk of infection and bleeding due to reduced white cells and platelets.
• Sickle Cell Disease:
  • Causes sickle cell anemia.
  • Other features: leg ulcers, stroke, pulmonary arterial hypertension.
  • Symptoms: Shortness of breath, fatigue, syncope, chest pain, systemic edema, cyanosis, tachycardia.

Conclusion

• Each underlying cause has its own clinical features in addition to anemia.
• Future focus on signs and symptoms specific to anemia's reduced oxygen carrying capacity.