Pale face, cold hands and feet may be anaemia.

When we see a woman sitting in her seat, pale-faced, holding her head and breathing slightly, we might go up to her and ask with concern, "You look so pale, are you feeling dizzy?" The woman might tell you that she has been suffering from "anemia" lately.
Most people are familiar with white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. White blood cells are responsible for fighting infection, while platelets form blood clots. Red blood cells are red because they contain an important iron-containing protein called – heme. Heme transports oxygen to various organs and tissues and carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs, making red blood cells extremely important!

Let's first look at the life cycle of red blood cells: Bone marrow collects iron, folic acid,Vitamin B12After being ingested with other nutrients, precursor cells for red blood cells develop. After several days of differentiation, these cells gradually enter the bloodstream and mature into red blood cells. Mature red blood cells can remain in the bloodstream for approximately 120 days before being metabolized and destroyed.
If red blood cells are not functioning well or are not numerous enough to complete their task, gas exchange will not be efficient enough. Patients will feel tired, weak, dizzy, have cold hands and feet, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat. In the most serious cases, it can lead to tissue hypoxia, shock, and cardiopulmonary dysfunction.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines anemia in adults as a hemoglobin level of less than 12.5 g/dL. Intuitively, anemia means there isn't enough blood. What problems can cause insufficient blood? One is excessive blood loss; once blood is lost, there isn't enough. Another cause is reduced red blood cell production or excessive red blood cell destruction in the body.
Losing too much blood will naturally lead to anemia. The causes of blood loss may be acute car accidents, knife wounds, gunshot wounds, chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, or excessive menstrual bleeding in women, resulting in heavy blood loss every month.
For people with sufficient iron in their bodies, blood loss will accelerate the production of red blood cells. Therefore, a week after blood loss, the blood will be filled with a lot of new blood cells in an attempt to make up for the lack of blood. However, if blood loss is prolonged or too much or too fast, anemia will still occur.

Patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, such as hemorrhoid bleeding or gastric ulcer bleeding, will notice that they are passing black or bloody stools. However, if the gastrointestinal bleeding is slow, the stool color may not change, so patients may not notice that they are experiencing continuous, small amounts of gastrointestinal bleeding.

When it comes to menstruation, the amount of menstrual flow varies greatly from woman to woman, ranging from 10cc to 250cc per month. Most women only know their own general flow and cannot compare it with others. They only consider consulting a doctor if their menstrual flow contains many blood clots, results in a large amount of bleeding at once, or requires a large number of sanitary pads. Many women do not pay attention to their usual...Excessive menstrual bleedingIt can even lead to anemia.
In any case, if an adult is diagnosed with anemia, and it is iron-deficiency anemia, the doctor will likely ask questions about the medical history and consider the possibility of various types of blood loss.

Furthermore, excessive destruction of red blood cells leads to premature death, with some dying before reaching 120 days of life, resulting in a lifespan of less than 40 days. If the rate of red blood cell destruction cannot keep up with the rate of new blood production, it causes anemia, a condition known as hemolytic disease. Increased red blood cell destruction leads to an increase in indirect bilirubin in the blood.
Intracellular hemolytic diseases are usually hereditary, such as diseases that alter the morphology of red blood cells, like spherocytes; extracellular hemolytic diseases are often acquired, possibly caused by drugs, infections, or immune diseases such as lupus, leading to the body's own antibodies attacking red blood cells.

The third reason is reduced red blood cell production. This may be due to the bone marrow being affected by chemical toxins, infections, drugs, or autoimmune diseases, resulting in too few red blood cells being produced. It may also be due to the bone marrow being affected by leukemia, cancer metastasis, etc., making it unable to produce red blood cells. It may also be due to insufficient raw materials for producing red blood cells, such as a lack of iron, vitamin B12, or folic acid.
There are so many causes of anemia, you could probably count them into 400 categories. We can't possibly list them all, so let's look at a few of the most common types:

Iron deficiency anemia
This is arguably the most common type of anemia, indicating insufficient iron stores in the body. It is very common in pregnant women, long-term vegetarians, breastfeeding mothers, and those with heavy menstrual flow may also experience iron deficiency, resulting in an inability to produce enough red blood cells.
If diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, the doctor will first determine if there is any bleeding and locate and stop the bleeding, for example, by treating a stomach ulcer or a large uterine fibroid. If it is believed to be caused by diet, dietary habits can be changed and iron supplements can be taken.

Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency anemia
A low intake of meat can lead to a deficiency in vitamin B12, while a low intake of vegetables can lead to a deficiency in vitamin B12.folateA lack of these two raw materials for making red blood cells can cause anemia. You can change your diet and take vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements orally.

pernicious anemia
The stomach needs to secrete "intrinsic factor" to bind with vitamin B12 so that the vitamin B12 we ingest can be absorbed by the body. If there is insufficient intrinsic factor, it will affect the absorption of vitamin B12, which will lead to anemia. This type of anemia cannot be improved by taking vitamin B12 orally and requires vitamin B12 injection.
Thalassemia
Hereditary anemia can range in severity from mild to severe. In addition to being common in the Mediterranean region, it also occurs frequently in Southeast Asia, making it difficult for red blood cells to mature and differentiate properly.
Sickle-shaped anemia
Hereditary anemia is prevalent in Africa and India. Red blood cells change from their original biconcave disc shape to a sickle shape, making them prone to premature death, thus causing anemia.
aplastic anemia
It can be hereditary, or it can be caused by the bone marrow being affected by chemotherapy, infection, or radiotherapy, resulting in a lack of sufficient stem cells and an inability to differentiate into red blood cells. This type of anemia can be life-threatening, and in addition to blood transfusions, bone marrow transplantation may be considered.
Anemia caused by chronic diseases
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypothyroidism, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis can interfere with red blood cell production, leading to anemia. Treatment of the chronic disease itself is necessary, and blood transfusions or erythropoietin injections may be considered when needed.

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