What Causes Anemia?

A feature article by an Alumbo member, Feb 08, 2007         

What Causes Anemia?

With over 3.5 million people in the U.S. alone afflicted by this disease, many people do not even understand the basics about Anemia. Anemia is a blood disorder that affects a large portion of our population. Maybe even you.

Did you know that 75% of people who are diagnosed with Anemia need hospitalization, but many cannot access or afford it. So does Anemia affect a certain section of society or a specific sex or age? Let's look at the numbers:

1. 60% of Anemia sufferers are women. And 10% of all women will face anemia in their lifetime, either diagnosed or undiagnosed.
2. 60% of Anemia sufferers are either Seniors or Small Children. With 7% of all small children aged 1-2 years facing anemia so soon after their birth.
3. Minorities and Poor Neighborhoods face anemia more often than other demographic sectors, why? Because of lack of spending on the part of governments on educating the masses, educating them about supplements, diets, even medical options. This has become the number one reason why poor sectors of society get Anemia more often.

With numbers this staggering, it would seem imperative that we learn as much as we can about this disease. Waiting until someone else takes the responsibility of teaching us is a luxury none of us can afford to wait for. I'd like to teach you based on what I've learned being a first hand sufferer and advocate for educating as many people as I can.

First, let's learn where Anemia comes from.

Your Blood - A Healthy Picture:
Our blood is made up of 3 kinds of cells. 1. Red Blood Cells. 2. White Blood Cells. And 3. Platelets. These are contained in a watery substance or plasma inside our blood. All three of these cells must work in harmony, in order to keep our bodies working properly.

White Cells and Platelets:
White cells fight infection and other bad substances that are invading our bodies, while Platelets stop bleeding by stopping and blocking leaks in the blood vessels.

Red Blood Cells:
Red blood cells specialize in carrying oxygen to the various parts of your body straight from the lungs. They do this with the aide of Hemoglobin, an Iron rich protein that allows the oxygen to bind with the cell, not to mention it gives your blood that rich red color.

Bone Marrow:
Red cells are born within your bone marrow as Erythroblasts (these 'Blasts' create more mature cells from a primitive starting cell), they are then filled with Hemoglobin and become Erythrocytes and enter the blood stream. (At this point they become donut shaped cells)

Because of their shape (which isn't very protective) they are susceptible to being destroyed quite easily. In fact, the life span of your red blood cells is about 120 days, only to be carried through the spleen and ejected from the body once they die.

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What Happens When Your Blood is Not so Healthy? If the body is low on Red blood cells to carry oxygen to the various parts of the body, strange and damaging things can happen. Your cells have to work much harder in order to service all the different parts of the body. Meaning, sometimes things start to break down. Your heart rate increases, you begin to feel fatigued all the time, and your body becomes much much weaker. When this happens, this is called Anemia.

Remember Hemoglobin? (that thing that makes your blood red) It's the main binding agent in your blood that allows oxygen to travel to the various parts of your body, it has the dual function of sending Carbon Dioxide back to the lungs to be expelled.

If it binds the oxygen too tightly, it won't release the oxygen at the right time to all of its destinations, if it binds too loosely, it won't pick much oxygen up when it travels to the lungs. If it binds at just the right amount of strength, you have healthy hemoglobin and HEALTHY blood.

But things such as Prescription Drugs, Drugs, and other Toxins over time can affect just how strong or weak this binding process can become. Leading to problems with your Hemoglobin and Anemia.

Right down to your Bones:
Your Bone Marrow can also be affected. You see, when you bleed your bone marrow increases the production of Red blood cells, White blood cells, and Platelets, not to mention it also has to produce new red blood cells to replace the ones that die every 120 days, and for the Platelets that die every 6 days, and for the White cells that die every day.

Your Bone Marrow is actually the second biggest organ in the body, and it has a very important job to do. If your Bone Marrow starts to slow down the production, once again, you could be facing Anemia.

Besides Hemoglobin and Bone Marrow Blood Cell Production, What Else can Cause Anemia?
If the destruction of red blood cells starts happening more frequently, or you have a large loss of blood, Anemia can happen. But let's look at specifically what can happen:

Other Causes:
1. Pregnancy and Breast Feeding
2. Chronic Ailments/Conditions
3. Vitamin B12 Deficiency / Iron / Folic Acid Deficiency 4. Ulcers (internal bleeding, Gastrointestinal bleeding), Cancer, Internal Parasites 5. Blood loss during or after Surgeries. 6. Heavy Menstruation
7. Heavy Alcohol or Drug Abuse (even over use of Prescription drugs) 8. Malnutrition

Since hemoglobin is an Iron based protein, a lack of Iron or Vitamin B12 in your blood means you won't be making a lot of hemoglobin, or at least not enough, and this will directly result in a lack of oxygen to the cells, and of course Anemia. This tends to be one of the most important and often the core problem with Anemics.

While their can be many causes of Anemia, such as blood loss, a lack of B12 or Iron in the blood, an infection, a disease such as Thalassaemia, Cancer, Leukemia or drug toxins, the reality is you need to find a solution for you.

Every body is different, and so is every solution. You should always be researching the newest treatments and cures in not only the Medical field, but also in Alternative Health, since people all around the world are finding solutions and cures in places you've probably never heard of.

If you would like more information about this disease including specifics about your condition and the latest information about cures and treatments, feel free to visit my website www.vitamin-b12deficiency.com and contact me personally.

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