Anemia

Anemia or anaemia is a very common condition involving a shortage of red blood cells, or a lack of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. A third of the world's population has anemia.

Signs and symptoms
Anemia can cause:
 * tiredness
 * weakness
 * lack of energy, sometimes called fatigue
 * shortness of breath
 * pale whites in your eyes
 * pale palms of the hand

Causes and types

 * Iron deficiency anemia
 * Megaloblastic anemia - which results from by Vitamin B12 deficiency or folate deficiency, which can be caused by:
 * an autoimmune disorder
 * Chronic gastritis
 * Surgery to remove all or part of the stomach
 * Pernicious anemia
 * Some forms of anemia are genetic (inherited)
 * Less common forms of anemia also exist, for example anemia due to parasites (hookworms or diphyllobothriasis)

Learn more

 * Anemia - Penn Medicine
 * Iron-deficiency Anaemia - NHS
 * Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia - NHS