Anemia

[kev]

Hi there all

I don't know if this is the right news group for this sort of thing but here
goes anyway:

A female family member has recently become anemic. She is 60 years old. She
has experienced normal symptoms that go along with being anemic, pale in
colour, short of breath etc. and has been given blood transfusion a few
times which has temporarily eased the symptoms. My question is, what causes
anemia ?? She seems quite healthy otherwise and even after some extensive
testing, doctors seem to be clueless as to the cause.

Thanks in advance

Kevin Dewar

[Sharon Coryell]

Anemia can be caused by a # of factors....depends on which type of
anemia the patient has. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the more
commons types...don't know the cause in this case... in mine it was
caused by chronic illness (which I did not feel I was) however the
body is funny like this.
Anemia can also indicate an internal bleed (which needs further
diagnostic evaluation)

Treatment with transfusion may only be an emergent situation and may
or may not hold the patient's hemaglobin or ferritin levels in
range...the patient may benefit from 'i.v. iron infusion (ferrlicet)
to bring counts up to normal range. Procrit can be used to relieve
symptoms of tiredness (it works but is expensive).