Symptoms of anemia include fatigue, weakness, pale or yellowish skin, arrhythmia, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, cold hands and feet, and headaches. Some cases of anemia go unnoticed because they are very mild.
Anemia is caused by the body not producing enough red blood cells, bleeding a lot so red blood cells are lost faster than they can be replaced, or red blood cells being destroyed by the body. Overall, there are many different types of anemia depending on what causes it, but the most common is iron-deficiency anemia. This occurs when the body doesn't get enough iron so it can't produce enough hemoglobin.
Pregnancy, menstruation, kidney failure, and other conditions can also be the cause of anemia.
To diagnose anemia, doctors will either ask a series of questions and perform a physical exam, or they will run other tests such as Complete Blood Count (CBC) or a test to determine the size and shape of someone's red blood cells. A Complete Blood Count test will show the number of red blood cells in the body and the hemoglobin levels.
Anemia is treated by what causes it. For example, depending on what type a person has, they may either have to take iron or vitamin tablets. Other types of anemia do not have a cure, but medication and precautions can be taken to help the disorder.