7 Types of Anemia
Anemia is a condition when the hemoglobin or the red blood cell (RBC) count is below normal. It may be caused due to drop in the production of RBCs, loss of excessive RBCs due to bleeding, or destruction of RBCs. It is possible to detect the presence of anemia with a blood cell count. The treatment varies with different types of anemia. Let us discuss each in detail. 1. Aplastic anemia Our blood cells are produced by the stem cells found in the bone marrow. When stem cells in the bone marrow are destroyed, they are unable to make a sufficient amount of red blood cells, causing aplastic anemia. You can either acquire this type of anemia or inherit it from your parents, the former being more common than the latter. It is a life-threatening condition that accounts for maximum death rates if left untreated. 2. Sideroblastic anemia When you have this type of blood disorder, your body is unable to process iron to produce hemoglobin, the protein that transports oxygen to your blood. As a result, there is an iron buildup that leads to the overproduction of abnormal red blood cells known as sideroblasts. 3. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia This type of anemia happens when your immune system starts attacking and destroying red blood cells much faster than producing new ones.