Anaemia

Patient information
What is anaemia?
Anaemia is the result of either not having enough red cells to take
oxygen around the body, or having faulty red cells that are unable
to carry enough oxygen. It is measured in the blood by the level of
Haemoglobin, sometimes called ‘Hb’.

Blood is a complex fluid containing lots of proteins and a number

of different types of cell to help our body to function correctly. These
cells include white cells to help fight infection, platelets to help form
clots when we bleed and red cells to carry oxygen. Oxygen is carried
by the red cells to all our organs, such as the heart, kidneys, liver and
tissues such as muscle, to help them convert food into energy for the
body to work. Red blood cells last about 120 days so the body (bone
marrow) has to constantly make new ones to replace them.

What are the signs and symptoms of anaemia?

The following can be features of anaemia:
• Weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Pounding or “whooshing” in your ears
• Headache
• Cold hands or feet
• Pale or yellow skin
• Chest pain
• Lack of concentration.
Am I at risk of anaemia?
Anaemia can be caused in many ways. You are at a higher risk if you
are young and have not built up a store of iron, essential vitamins and
minerals, have a diet lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, or
suffer from a variety of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease,
bone marrow disorders, chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis,
heart disease, chronic liver diseases or severe infections.

You would also be at risk if you have bowel cancer or have recently
had major surgery.

Girls and women having periods can also become anaemic. Pregnant
women may become anaemic as the baby takes essential iron for its
own development from their mother.

The risk of anaemia also increases with age as our stores of vitamins
and minerals decrease.

Are there different types of anaemia?

Yes, there are many different types of anaemia. Some of the
commonest types are listed below.

Anaemia due to an under-production of red cells can have

different causes including:
• A
 shortage of iron or vitamins: iron deficiency anaemia; caused
by a lack of iron in the body. There might be a problem with not
having enough iron in your diet or in absorbing it from your diet
or you might have used it all up during pregnancy, surgery or
bleeding.
• V
 itamin B12 or Folate deficiency: this is usually as a result of
inadequate intake in food or more commonly the inability of the
body to absorb it. Examples of this include pernicious anaemia
and coeliac disease.
• A
 naemia of chronic illness: this is also sometimes called
‘functional iron deficiency’. In this case the body has plenty of iron
in stores but inflammation caused by chronic illnesses or infections
can block access to the iron, so that the bone marrow does not
have enough iron available to produce good quality red blood
cells. This is more common as we get older.

Anaemia due to a problem in the bone marrow, where red cells

are made: this can be caused by many different diseases, for example:
• Patients with kidney failure may be unable to produce the
hormone Erythropoietin which is the messenger telling the bone
marrow to produce more red cells
• Cancer may invade the bone marrow or some drugs such as
chemotherapy may also slow down the rate at which red cells
are made
• There are other types of bone marrow disease that can cause
anaemia such as myelodysplastic syndrome or aplastic anaemia
• Infections can also reduce red cell production.

Anaemia due to inherited disorders: these can affect haemoglobin

production, for example thalassaemia.

Anaemia due to excessive destruction of red cells: this occurs

in immune haemolytic anaemia and inherited disorders such as sickle
cell anaemia.

Anaemia due to bleeding: this can be severe and sudden such as

bleeding from a gastric ulcer or blood loss may be at a slower rate
such as due to heavy periods or hidden blood loss from the bowel.
When blood loss is slow, the anaemia develops gradually and is often
associated with a shortage of iron as the iron is lost from the body.
What tests are done to see if I am anaemic?
Blood Tests
• Full Blood Count – checks the number and quality of red cells in
your blood including the Haemoglobin
• Vitamin B12 and Folate levels – checks to see if you have enough
iron in your body to help make red cells
• Ferritin and Iron Saturation levels – checks the amount of iron
you have in store (Ferritin) and the amount available to use
(Iron Saturation)
• Direct Antiglobulin Test (DAT) demonstrates whether or not the
body’s immune system is breaking down its own red cells
• Blood chemistry tests to demonstrate whether organs such as the
liver and kidneys are working well.

Bone marrow biopsy

• This is rarely required and will only be carried out by a specialist
in a hospital.

Other investigations
These may include tests to see if there is bleeding somewhere
for example:
• B
 owel investigations such as colonoscopy (examination of the
bowel)
• Endoscopy (examination of the gut)
• Gynaecological (female reproductive system)
• Urinary tract investigations such as cystoscopy (examination of
the bladder).
What treatments are available?
There are two general approaches to the treatment of anaemia:

1. Replacement therapy: there are several different types of

treatment available which might include oral iron tablets, intravenous
iron, iron injections and blood transfusion.

2. Treatment of the underlying problem or disease: these

treatments include:
• Drug therapy such as steroids or immunoglobulins to treat an
immune problem
• Antibiotics for infections
• Chemotherapy for cancer
• Surgery for example to treat a bleeding problem.

You may wish to discuss which is the best treatment for you with
your doctor, nurse or midwife.

Can I help myself?

There are several things you can do to help your self. These include:
• Eat a healthy diet including fruit, vegetables, eggs, fish or meat
and carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, rice or bread. NHSBT
provide a Patient Information Leaflet called ‘Iron in Your Diet’ to
assist you with this, it can be found at the web addresses below
• Talk to your doctor, nurse or midwife if you think you have any
of the symptoms of anaemia listed in this leaflet or have noticed
blood in your bowel motions or urine or have persistent heavy
periods
• Always discuss any alternative medicine, herbal preparation or over
the counter treatments for anaemia with a healthcare professional
before taking them, as they may react with any prescribed
medications.
Patient Blood Management (PBM)
PBM is a new standard of care that focuses on measures to reduce
or avoid the need for a blood transfusion if possible. However, if a
transfusion is needed, it makes sure that patients are given only what
they really need and that the transfusion is given safely. There is a
NHSBT PBM Patient Information Leaflet available that explains things
in more detail so please ask your nurse or doctor for a copy.

Recent studies suggest that if PBM is followed and transfusion

is reduced or avoided, patients have fewer complications, faster
recoveries and shorter stays in hospital.

During your treatment, a transfusion of red cells or other blood

component such as platelets may be required. If so, there are other
patient information leaflets available from NHSBT such as “Will I need
a blood transfusion?” that may help explain things for you. Please
ask your doctor or nurse for a copy of the other leaflets that are
suitable for your proposed treatment pathway.

Further information from NHSBT on Blood Transfusion

Information for Patients is available from the following website:
http://www.blood.co.uk/information-for-patients/
blood-transfusion
NHS Blood and Transplant
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) saves and improves lives by providing a safe,
reliable and efficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS in England
and North Wales. We are the organ donor organisation for the UK and are responsible
for matching and allocating donated organs. We rely on thousands of members of the
public who voluntarily donate their blood, organs, tissues and stem cells.
For more information
Visit nhsbt.nhs.uk
Email enquiries@nhsbt.nhs.uk
Call 0300 123 23 23

INF1268/1  Effective: 30/04/15  1415535  BLC718P  Anaemia – Patient Information