Anaemia - Signs and Symptoms

In India, the commonest cause of anaemia is iron deficiency. The Indian diet is generally low in iron, making growing children, menstruating women, pregnant women and strict vegetarians (whose diet has less absorbable iron ) more susceptible to iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is also caused by slow, chronic blood leak such as from gastric ulcers (in India, a bacterial infection called helicobacter pylori is very common and causes such ulcers), tapeworm infestations in the gut, haemorrhoids (piles), heavy menses or cancers of the gut. 

Iron deficiency anaemia is often the first sign of such a cancer! In an elderly patient with iron deficiency, it is mandatory to consider the possibility of an intestinal cancer.

7 Reasons

Generally, decreased red blood cell production, increased RBC destruction or blood loss are the mechanisms responsible for anaemia. All conditions causing anaemia usually work through one of these mechanisms. Causes include:

1. Nutritional deficiencies (most notably iron or vitamin deficiencies).
2. Inherited disorders (such as thalassemia or sickle cell anaemia).
3. Infections.
4. Some kinds of cancer.
5. Exposure to certain medicines or chemicals.
6. Autoimmune haemolysis (where the red blood cells are destroyed by a dysfunction in the body’s own immune system).
7. Excessive bleeding.

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