Microcytic Anemia: Symptoms, Types, and Treatment

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Microcytic anemia means that you have smaller red blood cells than typical — and fewer of them. It can result from an iron deficiency or a health condition.

Microcytic anemia definition

Microcytosis is a term used to describe red blood cells that are smaller than normal. Anemia is when you have low numbers of properly functioning red blood cells in your body.

In microcytic anemias, your body has fewer red blood cells than normal. The red blood cells it does have are also too small. Several different types of anemias can be described as microcytic.

Microcytic anemias are caused by conditions that prevent your body from producing enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a component of your blood. It helps transport oxygen to your tissues and gives your red blood cells their red color.

Iron deficiency causes most microcytic anemias. Your body needs iron to produce hemoglobin. But other conditions can cause microcytic anemias, too. To treat a microcytic anemia, your doctor will first diagnose the underlying cause.

You may not notice any symptoms of microcytic anemia at first. Symptoms often appear at an advanced stage when the lack of normal red blood cells is affecting your tissues.

Common symptoms of microcytic anemias include:

• fatigue, weakness, and tiredness
• loss of stamina
• shortness of breath
• dizziness
• pale skin

If you experience any of these symptoms and they don’t resolve within two weeks, make an appointment to see your doctor.

You should make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible if you experience severe dizziness or shortness of breath.

Microcytic anemias can be further described according to the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. They can be either hypochromic, normochromic, or hyperchromic:

1. Hypochromic microcytic anemias

Hypochromic means that the red blood cells have less hemoglobin than normal. Low levels of hemoglobin in your red blood cells leads to appear paler in color. In microcytic hypochromic anemia, your body has low levels of red blood cells that are both smaller and paler than normal.

Most microcytic anemias are hypochromic. Hypochromic microcytic anemias include:

Iron deficiency anemia: The most common cause of microcytic anemia is an iron deficiency in the blood. Iron deficiency anemia can be caused by:

• inadequate iron intake, usually as a result of your diet
• being unable to absorb iron due to conditions like celiac disease or Helicobacter pylori infection
• chronic blood loss due to frequent or heavy periods in women or by gastrointestinal (GI) bleeds from upper GI ulcers or inflammatory bowel disease
• pregnancy

Thalassemia: Thalassemia is a type of anemia that’s caused by an inherited abnormality. It involves mutations in the genes needed for normal hemoglobin production.

Sideroblastic anemia: Sideroblastic anemia can be inherited due to gene mutations (congenital). It can also be caused by a condition acquired later in life that impedes your body’s ability to integrate iron into one of the components needed to make hemoglobin. This results in a buildup of iron in your red blood cells.

Congenital sideroblastic anemia is usually microcytic and hypochromic.

2. Normochromic microcytic anemias

Normochromic means that your red blood cells have a normal amount of hemoglobin, and the hue of red is not too pale or deep in color. An example of a normochromic microcytic anemia is:

Anemia of inflammation and chronic disease: Anemia due to these conditions is usually normochromic and normocytic (red blood cells are normal in size). Normochromic microcytic anemia may be seen in people with:

• infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or endocarditis
• inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, or diabetes mellitus
• kidney disease
• cancer

These conditions can prevent red blood cells from functioning normally. This can lead to decreased iron absorption or utilization.

3. Hyperchromic microcytic anemias

Hyperchromic means that the red blood cells have more hemoglobin than normal. High levels of hemoglobin in your red blood cells makes them a deeper hue of red than normal.

Congenital spherocytic anemia: Hyperchromic microcytic anemias are rare. They may be caused by a genetic condition known as congenital spherocytic anemia. This is also called hereditary spherocytosis.

In this disorder, the membrane of your red blood cells doesn’t form correctly. This causes them to be rigid and improperly spherical shaped. They are sent to be broken down and die in the spleen because they don’t travel in the blood cells properly.

4. Other causes of microcytic anemia

Other causes of microcytic anemia include:

• lead toxicity
• copper deficiency
• zinc excess, which causes copper deficiency
• alcohol use
• drug use

Microcytic anemias are often first spotted after your doctor has ordered a blood test known as a complete blood count (CBC) for another reason. If your CBC indicates that you have anemia, your doctor will order another test known as a peripheral blood smear.

This test can help spot early microcytic or macrocytic changes to your red blood cells. Hypochromia, normochromia, or hyperchromia can also be seen with the peripheral blood smear test.

Your primary care doctor may refer you to a hematologist. A hematologist is a specialist who works with blood disorders. They may be able to best diagnose and treat the specific type of microcytic anemia and identify its underlying cause.

Once a doctor has diagnosed you with microcytic anemia, they will run tests to determine the cause of the condition. They may run blood tests to check for celiac disease. They may test your blood and stool for H. pylori bacterial infection.

Your doctor might ask you about other symptoms you’ve experienced if they suspect that chronic blood loss is the cause of your microcytic anemia. They may refer you to a gastroenterologist if you have stomach or other abdominal pain. A gastroenterologist might run imaging tests to look for different conditions. These tests include:

• abdominal ultrasound
• upper GI endoscopy (EGD)
• CT scan of the abdomen

For women with pelvic pain and heavy periods, a gynecologist may look for uterine fibroids or other conditions that could cause heavier flows.

Treatment for microcytic anemia focuses on treating the underlying cause of the condition.

Your doctor may recommend that you take iron and vitamin C supplements. The iron will help treat the anemia while the vitamin C will help increase your body’s ability to absorb the iron.

Your doctor will focus on diagnosing and treating the cause of the blood loss if acute or chronic blood loss is causing or contributing to microcytic anemia. Women with iron deficiency from severe periods may be prescribed hormonal therapy, such as birth control pills.

In cases of microcytic anemia so severe that you’re at risk for complications like cardiac failure, you may need to get a blood transfusion of donor red blood cells. This can increase the number of healthy red blood cells that your organs need.

Treatment can be relatively straightforward if simple nutrient deficiencies are the cause of microcytic anemia. As long as the underlying cause of the anemia can be treated, the anemia itself can be treated and even cured.

In very severe cases, untreated microcytic anemia can become dangerous. It can cause tissue hypoxia. This is when the tissue is deprived of oxygen. It can cause complications including:

• low blood pressure, also called hypotension
• coronary artery problems
• pulmonary problems
• shock

These complications are more common in older adults who already have pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases.

The best way to prevent microcytic anemia is to get enough iron in your diet. Increasing your vitamin C intake can also help your body absorb more iron.

You can also consider taking a daily iron supplement. These are often recommended if you already have anemia. You should always talk to your doctor before you start taking any supplements.

You can also try to get more nutrients through your food.

Foods rich in iron include:

• red meat like beef
• poultry
• dark leafy greens
• beans
• dried fruits like raisins and apricots

Foods rich in vitamin C include:

• citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruits
• kale
• red peppers
• Brussels sprouts
• strawberries
• broccoli

Microcytic Anemia: Symptoms, Types, and Treatment

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

• Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
• Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
• Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Microcytic anemia means that you have smaller red blood cells than typical — and fewer of them. It can result from an iron deficiency or a health condition.

Microcytic anemia definition

Microcytosis is a term used to describe red blood cells that are smaller than normal. Anemia is when you have low numbers of properly functioning red blood cells in your body.

In microcytic anemias, your body has fewer red blood cells than normal. The red blood cells it does have are also too small. Several different types of anemias can be described as microcytic.

Microcytic anemias are caused by conditions that prevent your body from producing enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a component of your blood. It helps transport oxygen to your tissues and gives your red blood cells their red color.

Iron deficiency causes most microcytic anemias. Your body needs iron to produce hemoglobin. But other conditions can cause microcytic anemias, too. To treat a microcytic anemia, your doctor will first diagnose the underlying cause.

You may not notice any symptoms of microcytic anemia at first. Symptoms often appear at an advanced stage when the lack of normal red blood cells is affecting your tissues.

Common symptoms of microcytic anemias include:

• fatigue, weakness, and tiredness
• loss of stamina
• shortness of breath
• dizziness
• pale skin

If you experience any of these symptoms and they don’t resolve within two weeks, make an appointment to see your doctor.

You should make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible if you experience severe dizziness or shortness of breath.

Microcytic anemias can be further described according to the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. They can be either hypochromic, normochromic, or hyperchromic:

1. Hypochromic microcytic anemias

Hypochromic means that the red blood cells have less hemoglobin than normal. Low levels of hemoglobin in your red blood cells leads to appear paler in color. In microcytic hypochromic anemia, your body has low levels of red blood cells that are both smaller and paler than normal.

Most microcytic anemias are hypochromic. Hypochromic microcytic anemias include:

Iron deficiency anemia: The most common cause of microcytic anemia is an iron deficiency in the blood. Iron deficiency anemia can be caused by:

• inadequate iron intake, usually as a result of your diet
• being unable to absorb iron due to conditions like celiac disease or Helicobacter pylori infection
• chronic blood loss due to frequent or heavy periods in women or by gastrointestinal (GI) bleeds from upper GI ulcers or inflammatory bowel disease
• pregnancy

Thalassemia: Thalassemia is a type of anemia that’s caused by an inherited abnormality. It involves mutations in the genes needed for normal hemoglobin production.

Sideroblastic anemia: Sideroblastic anemia can be inherited due to gene mutations (congenital). It can also be caused by a condition acquired later in life that impedes your body’s ability to integrate iron into one of the components needed to make hemoglobin. This results in a buildup of iron in your red blood cells.

Congenital sideroblastic anemia is usually microcytic and hypochromic.

2. Normochromic microcytic anemias

Normochromic means that your red blood cells have a normal amount of hemoglobin, and the hue of red is not too pale or deep in color. An example of a normochromic microcytic anemia is:

Anemia of inflammation and chronic disease: Anemia due to these conditions is usually normochromic and normocytic (red blood cells are normal in size). Normochromic microcytic anemia may be seen in people with:

• infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or endocarditis
• inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, or diabetes mellitus
• kidney disease
• cancer

These conditions can prevent red blood cells from functioning normally. This can lead to decreased iron absorption or utilization.

3. Hyperchromic microcytic anemias

Hyperchromic means that the red blood cells have more hemoglobin than normal. High levels of hemoglobin in your red blood cells makes them a deeper hue of red than normal.

Congenital spherocytic anemia: Hyperchromic microcytic anemias are rare. They may be caused by a genetic condition known as congenital spherocytic anemia. This is also called hereditary spherocytosis.

In this disorder, the membrane of your red blood cells doesn’t form correctly. This causes them to be rigid and improperly spherical shaped. They are sent to be broken down and die in the spleen because they don’t travel in the blood cells properly.

4. Other causes of microcytic anemia

Other causes of microcytic anemia include:

• lead toxicity
• copper deficiency
• zinc excess, which causes copper deficiency
• alcohol use
• drug use

Microcytic anemias are often first spotted after your doctor has ordered a blood test known as a complete blood count (CBC) for another reason. If your CBC indicates that you have anemia, your doctor will order another test known as a peripheral blood smear.

This test can help spot early microcytic or macrocytic changes to your red blood cells. Hypochromia, normochromia, or hyperchromia can also be seen with the peripheral blood smear test.

Your primary care doctor may refer you to a hematologist. A hematologist is a specialist who works with blood disorders. They may be able to best diagnose and treat the specific type of microcytic anemia and identify its underlying cause.

Once a doctor has diagnosed you with microcytic anemia, they will run tests to determine the cause of the condition. They may run blood tests to check for celiac disease. They may test your blood and stool for H. pylori bacterial infection.

Your doctor might ask you about other symptoms you’ve experienced if they suspect that chronic blood loss is the cause of your microcytic anemia. They may refer you to a gastroenterologist if you have stomach or other abdominal pain. A gastroenterologist might run imaging tests to look for different conditions. These tests include:

• abdominal ultrasound
• upper GI endoscopy (EGD)
• CT scan of the abdomen

For women with pelvic pain and heavy periods, a gynecologist may look for uterine fibroids or other conditions that could cause heavier flows.

Treatment for microcytic anemia focuses on treating the underlying cause of the condition.

Your doctor may recommend that you take iron and vitamin C supplements. The iron will help treat the anemia while the vitamin C will help increase your body’s ability to absorb the iron.

Your doctor will focus on diagnosing and treating the cause of the blood loss if acute or chronic blood loss is causing or contributing to microcytic anemia. Women with iron deficiency from severe periods may be prescribed hormonal therapy, such as birth control pills.

In cases of microcytic anemia so severe that you’re at risk for complications like cardiac failure, you may need to get a blood transfusion of donor red blood cells. This can increase the number of healthy red blood cells that your organs need.

Treatment can be relatively straightforward if simple nutrient deficiencies are the cause of microcytic anemia. As long as the underlying cause of the anemia can be treated, the anemia itself can be treated and even cured.

In very severe cases, untreated microcytic anemia can become dangerous. It can cause tissue hypoxia. This is when the tissue is deprived of oxygen. It can cause complications including:

• low blood pressure, also called hypotension
• coronary artery problems
• pulmonary problems
• shock

These complications are more common in older adults who already have pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases.

The best way to prevent microcytic anemia is to get enough iron in your diet. Increasing your vitamin C intake can also help your body absorb more iron.

You can also consider taking a daily iron supplement. These are often recommended if you already have anemia. You should always talk to your doctor before you start taking any supplements.

You can also try to get more nutrients through your food.

Foods rich in iron include:

• red meat like beef
• poultry
• dark leafy greens
• beans
• dried fruits like raisins and apricots

Foods rich in vitamin C include:

• citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruits
• kale
• red peppers
• Brussels sprouts
• strawberries
• broccoli

Anemia

Pale appearance? Looking for reasons

At the end of winter and early spring, many adults and children experience inexplicable weakness, become pale and inactive. These signs may be the result of seasonal hypovitaminosis – a lack of vitamins or a lack of natural ultraviolet radiation. But if such a condition becomes chronic or suddenly manifests itself among the summer heat and an abundance of fruits, then we can talk about a more serious condition – anemia or anemia.

Anemia is a condition in which the healthy red blood cells (erythrocytes) that carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues are reduced. What is anemia Anemia is always accompanied by a decrease in hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells that binds to oxygen from the lungs. There are many types of illness, each with different causes. Anemia can be a short-term disease or, on the contrary, have a chronic course. The development of anemia can be associated with menopause, hormonal disorders, diet, vitamin deficiency, diseases of the digestive tract, liver, kidneys, malabsorption, autoimmune conditions, surgery and other factors. Often, anemia is an independent or concomitant symptom of many internal diseases, infectious and oncological diseases.

Signs of anemia

The main symptom of anemia is weakness and fatigue. You may also experience pallor, palpitations, shortness of breath or a feeling of lack of air, pain in the heart, dizziness, headaches, cold fingers. Mild and sometimes moderate anemia may remain asymptomatic and be detected only by a blood test. However, as the degree of decrease in hemoglobin increases, signs and symptoms of anemia appear. The danger of anemia lies in the fact that oxygen starvation of tissues occurs. And this negatively affects the functions of all human organs and systems.

What changes occur in patients with anemia?

Due to the lack of enzymes containing iron, skin functions are impaired. In patients, hair splits and falls out, nails become brittle. And, of course, those suffering from anemia are very pale in appearance. The patient’s face may be somewhat puffy and lethargic, seizures often appear in the corners of the mouth, the mucous membrane of the tongue atrophies, the tongue becomes, as it were, “varnished”. Violation of the functions of the nervous tissue causes general weakness, fatigue, drowsiness or, conversely, insomnia. Before the eyes begin to flicker “flies”. Women become overly excitable, irritable, suspicious and suspicious. There may be a perversion of taste, when patients suddenly begin to irresistibly pull on completely inedible things: clay, chalk, coal.

The best treatment is prevention

The most common anemia associated with impaired blood formation due to a lack of certain substances. For example, iron, vitamin B-12, folic acid, proteins. They are called “deficient”. Post-hemorrhagic anemia develops as a result of blood loss – acute or chronic (both during bleeding and as a result of accelerated breakdown of red blood cells caused by various factors). Anemia in most cases, not caused by complex pathological conditions of the body, is treated quite well. Proper nutrition is essential. A large amount of iron is found in meat, beans and other legumes, nuts and dried fruits. B-12 is found in meat and dairy products. Folic acid – found in orange juice and other fruits. Proper nutrition is especially important for growing children and pregnant women. For people with a high need for iron or vitamins, multivitamin complexes containing iron and folic acid may be prescribed. But note that iron supplements should be taken only when indicated, and not in all cases when you feel weak or tired. Therefore, do not self-medicate, but consult a doctor: only a specialist can find out the cause of the disease and choose the right course of treatment.

Expert advice

Include as many green vegetables, lettuce and herbs as possible in your diet to get enough folic acid. Many breakfast cereals also contain folic acid. Iron-fortified foods can also help with anemia. Drinks containing caffeine (eg, tea, coffee, cola) should be avoided, especially with meals, as caffeine interferes with iron absorption. In the best, biologically assimilable form, iron is found in red meat (beef), chicken, animal liver, porcini mushrooms, egg yolks, buckwheat, carrots, legumes, dark green vegetables, green apples, peaches, oatmeal. Spinach, dried apricots, pomegranates will be useful. Iron and its salts contain potatoes, pumpkin, swede, onion, garlic, lettuce, dill, buckwheat, gooseberries, strawberries, grapes. Iron is more easily absorbed from animal food sources than from plant sources. Women with frequent or heavy menstrual bleeding, or during pregnancy, should discuss with their doctor the possibility of supplementing iron supplements. Avoid prolonged contact with insecticides, chemical agents, poisonous and toxic substances, gasoline and other petroleum products.

Folk recipes for maintaining tone

Black currant, mountain ash, wild rose, wild strawberry rich in ascorbic acid are recommended as adjuvants and for maintenance therapy in case of anemia. Vitamin tea is prepared from the berries and leaves of these plants: Rose hips, wild strawberries – equally. Pour 10 g of the mixture with a glass of boiling water, heat in a water bath for 15 minutes, cool for 45 minutes, strain, squeeze the raw materials and bring the amount of infusion with boiled water to the original volume. Take 1/4-1/2 cup 2 times a day as an additional source of iron and ascorbic acid.

Wild strawberry leaf tea (1-2 tablespoons per 2 cups of boiling water) is to be taken in a tablespoon 3-4 times a day as an auxiliary vitamin and tonic for maintenance therapy in case of anemia. In addition, it increases the secretion of the gastrointestinal tract, improves appetite.

Fruits of mountain ash, rose hips – equally. Tea is taken in a glass a day as an auxiliary vitamin remedy for maintenance therapy for anemia. Potatoes, white cabbage, eggplant, zucchini, melon, pumpkin, onion, garlic, sea buckthorn, blackberry, strawberry, viburnum, cranberry, hawthorn, gooseberry, lemon, orange, apricot, cherry, pear, corn, etc. also contain ascorbic acid and B vitamins.

When there is not enough iron

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of this condition. With iron deficiency, the bone marrow produces small, pale red blood cells (so-called microcytes), depleted in hemoglobin. The disease is especially common among women of childbearing age due to menstrual blood loss, as well as due to the increasing need for iron during pregnancy (in addition, women have a lower iron store than men). Iron deficiency anemia leads to a decrease in the concentration of iron in red blood cells, which manifests itself in weakness.

Patients with iron deficiency anemia often feel cold and cannot warm themselves – iron plays a major role in regulating body temperature, so its deficiency leads to an inability to keep warm. In addition, insufficient provision of tissues with oxygen leads to a feeling of fatigue and weakness. Patients with iron deficiency anemia have pale skin and often suffer from shortness of breath, dizziness, and headaches. Vegetarians are also at risk of developing anemia if they do not fortify their diet with sufficient natural sources of iron – broccoli, spinach, etc.

Other diseases

Vitamin deficiencies: In addition to iron, vitamin B-12 and folic acid are also needed for the synthesis of red blood cells. Folic acid and vitamin B-12 deficiencies can develop in people who do not get enough vitamins from food and in people with certain types of gastrointestinal diseases. Anemia associated with deficiency of vitamin B-12 and folic acid refers to the so-called megaloblastic anemia. In this type of anemia, erythrocytes, enlarged in size, are produced – megaloblasts.

B-12 deficiency associated with malabsorption of the vitamin in the stomach is sometimes referred to as pernicious anemia.

Anemia of chronic diseases. In some types of chronic diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and a number of other inflammatory diseases, a violation of the production of red blood cells can lead to the development of anemia. Kidney failure, for example, can be caused by a lack of the hormone erythropoietin, which stimulates the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow. What can a doctor prescribe? Anemia is diagnosed based on blood test data. A blood test that determines the level of hemoglobin, the number of red blood cells, ESR – the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the number of leukocytes and their composition, is called a general blood test. In the event that a decrease in hemoglobin is detected in the blood test, a set of additional tests is done to establish the exact type of anemia. Such analyzes-procedures may include gastroscopy, colonoscopy, gastrointestinal studies, computed tomography and other studies.

Main treatments for anemia

Depending on the cause of anemia, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment. For example, if the anemia is associated with iron deficiency, the doctor will prescribe iron supplements, and after determining the cause of the anemia, he will take measures to eliminate it. If the cause of anemia is vitamin B-12 deficiency, then you will be prescribed vitamin B-12 injections. In children, anemia may be associated with intestinal infection with parasites or worms, in which case antiparasitic treatment must first be carried out. If there is severe blood loss, the doctor in the hospital may give a blood transfusion, etc.

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Anemia: when treatment fails

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Bleach bottom skin , blue under the eyes , cracks in the corners of the lips, fatigue, lack of appetite . Moms fasting would have been diagnosed quickly – anemia, not enough iron. “Only a doctor can diagnose a disease. And not necessarily anemia is due to a lack of iron in the body, as many people believe,” says Valentina Daugyalaviciene – pediatric hematologist of the Medical Center for Diagnostics and Treatment, located on V. Gribo Street in Vilnius.

Anemia is a condition in which the amount of hemoglobin in the body decreases. Hemoglobin, which contains iron, carries oxygen to tissues. When its content decreases, the process slows down. As a result, a person becomes less resilient, gets tired faster, experiences weakness, body cells renew more slowly – the skin becomes thin and dry, hair begins to thin, nails become brittle, disturbances occur in the functioning of the nervous and immune systems.

“Children’s anemia due to iron deficiency is a fairly common disease,” says Valentina Daugialaviciene, a doctor with twenty years of practice in oncohematology, and draws the attention of parents. “Usually, iron preparations are prescribed to treat the disease, but it happens that taking them does not lead to an improvement in the general condition of the patient, nor to an improvement in the results of the examination.”

What is the reason for ineffective treatment? The doctor has no doubt that first of all it is necessary to find out whether the malaise is really iron deficiency anemia. There are cases when this disease is caused not only by a lack of iron. “The mother of a 12-year-old boy suspected anemia in her son, noticing that he looks exhausted, complains of pain in his stomach, sometimes his eyeballs turn yellow. On palpation of the boy’s abdomen, we found an enlarged spleen. During echoscopy, stones in the gallbladder were also seen. Additional blood tests showed an increased content of serum iron, an increased content of bilirubin. We diagnosed hereditary microspherocytosis. This disease is inherited – a person from birth has both small erythrocytes, called microspherocytes, and erythrocytes of normal size. Small red blood cells are inflexible, falling into the spleen, they die. Only normal-sized erythrocytes slip through the splenic ducts. With the breakdown of red blood cells in the spleen (which is why it increases), too much iron is formed. Do I need to take iron supplements in this case? Of course no!” – says children’s hematologist V. Daugyalaviciene.

If hemoglobin drops to a life-threatening level, these patients require a red blood cell transfusion. If the crisis of the disease is repeated, and doctors constantly ascertain the low content of hemoglobin, it is necessary to remove the spleen. “Such patients are under our observation due to the formation of gallstones,” the doctor says. – Stones can get stuck in the bile ducts. In this case, the operation is inevitable, it is necessary to remove the gallbladder.

Sometimes the doctor has to remove iron from the body rather than prescribe iron supplements. “My parents brought two sisters, 7 and 9, to my office.years, with a diagnosis of anemia, but both were treated for a long time and ineffectively, – recalls a pediatric hematologist. – When we conducted additional examinations, it turned out that the girls are sick with thalassemia, which is characterized by hereditary disorders in the structure of the hemoglobin molecule. With this disease, it is impossible to prescribe iron preparations, on the contrary, there is an excess of iron in the body.

Anemia is usually diagnosed on the basis of blood tests. With the depletion of iron stores, signs of anemia do not appear immediately, but their appearance often indicates other diseases. “The cause of anemia, the treatment of which does not give results, can be diseases of the kidneys, liver, and malignant processes that have begun in the body,” emphasizes pediatric hematologist V. Daugialaviciene. “Therefore, it is necessary to purposefully conduct additional examinations – blood tests, biochemical blood tests.”

If examinations show that iron deficiency anemia has been correctly diagnosed, and treatment still does not give the results that patients expect, it is necessary to establish – why? “Maybe the doctors prescribed too little iron, or maybe the iron wasn’t taken long enough. Or the prescribed iron preparation is not suitable for the patient, and it needs to be replaced. Other diseases cannot be excluded, for example, disorders in the digestive tract – gastritis, peptic ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease, ”the doctor notes.

She herself had a similar case: “A teenage girl came to the consultation complaining of weakness and fatigue. At physical education lessons, she quickly got tired, felt an increased heartbeat, and sweated a lot. She had no appetite, although she did not complain of stomach pains. The girl was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. After taking iron supplements, her condition did not improve at all. During gastrofibroscopy – endoscopic examination of the stomach, we found signs of gastritis, and the test for bacteria 9 was positive.0063 H. pylori . The patient was prescribed combined treatment by a gastroenterologist and a hematologist. Ten days later, the condition and test results improved, but the girl had a long-term treatment under the supervision of a hematologist and a gastroenterologist.