Anemia occurs when the body fails to get enough oxygen due to a low number of red blood cells. Red blood cells contain an iron-rich protein known as hemoglobin that carries the oxygen. Therefore, if a person has this medical condition, the count of hemoglobin in the red blood cells will be less than usual.

Symptoms
People can get different types of anemia, but they may not show any symptoms. However, listed below are some of the symptoms and types of anemia for understanding the condition better.

The signs of this condition vary depending on the cause and particular type. Some common ones include:

• Tiredness and loss of energy
• Shortness of breath, particularly after exercising
• Weakness
• Irregular and rapid heartbeat, especially post a physical activity like playing a sport or doing any other form of exercise
• Headache
• Dizziness or lightheadedness, particularly when standing up or doing other activity
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Chest pain
• Sore tongue
• Insomnia
• Cramps in the legs
• Constipation
• Skin appears pale and yellowish
• Dry skin
• Bruised skin
• Cold hands and feet

Types of anemia
There can be as many as 400 different types of this blood condition, depending on the cause. The most common forms include:

Iron-deficiency anemia: Iron-deficiency anemia is the most prevalent type of anemia. The cause of this anemia is an inadequate amount of iron in the body due to blood loss or poor iron absorption. Pregnancy or gastric bypass surgery can also lead to the deficiency of iron.

Aplastic anemia: Aplastic anemia is a rare type of anemia. It occurs when the bone marrow ceases to produce sufficient new blood cells. The production of adequate new blood cells decreases due to a deficiency or destruction of the stem cells in the bone marrow.

Vitamin-deficiency anemia: Vitamin-deficiency anemia may occur when there is a lack of vitamins like B-12, C, or folic acid in the body due to poor dietary habits or when the body is unable to absorb these nutrients.

Sickle cell anemia: Sickle cell anemia is a type of genetic blood condition. It is caused by rigid sickle-shaped red blood cells that clog small blood vessels and impede the blood and oxygen flow.

Hemolytic anemia: Hemolytic anemia occurs when the red blood cells get destroyed more rapidly than they can be produced. Infections, aneurysms, congenital abnormalities, or autoimmune disorders in the red blood cells can cause this destruction. Blood condition like thalassemia is an example of inherited hemolytic anemia.

Anemia is the most widely spread blood condition affecting almost 6% of the population in the country. It can make a person weak and expose them to other medical conditions if left untreated.

Understanding the symptoms and types of anemia is crucial for its treatment. In addition to checking the symptoms, the doctor will run blood tests like complete blood count (CBC) to determine the type of anemia before recommending the best course of treatment.