This decrease in red blood cells reduces the oxygen carrying power of the blood, resulting in insufficient oxygen being delivered to the body’s tissues. This inadequate supply of oxygen throughout the body often results in one developing extreme fatigue and a shortness of breath-the classical symptoms of anemia.

Common causes of anemia include blood loss, dietary deficiencies, poor iron absorption, increased needs for iron (such as in young children, adolescents, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, the elderly), and chronic diseases.

Some of the most common types of anemia include:

• Deficiency Anemia - Anemia caused by low levels of nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12, or folic aci.
  
  
• Sickle-Cell Anemia and Thalassemia - Inherited abnormalities of hemoglobin productio.
  
  
• Megaloblastic (Pernicious) Anemia - A disorder caused by malabsorption of vitamin B12 from the digestive trac.
  
  
• Congenital Aplastic Anemia - Failure of bone marrow to produce red blood cells.

It is essential that the type of anemia be identified through a complete diagnostic workup by a qualified health care professional, in order to render appropriate treatment.

Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common cause of anemia. This type of anemia is often due to chronic blood loss resulting from heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnancy, peptic ulcers, bleeding lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, reflux esophagitis, or gastric or colorectal cancer.

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