Anemia is a disorder of the blood. It is commonly believed that anemia is related to iron deficiency. However, there are many types of anemia. The article on the main types of anemia explains the basic facts related to the different types of anemia, to understand more about them.

What is anemia?
Anemia is essentially is a disorder of the blood where there are insufficient red blood cells. This prevents adequate oxygen supply to the tissues causing fatigue. Different types of anemia occur due to specific reasons. They are linked to different diseases.

While most forms of anemia can be easily treated, there are forms of anemia that can be dangerous. Anemia is related to the hemoglobin count or RBC count. In women, the normal level of hemoglobin is 12 grams per 100ml. For men, it is 13.5 grams per 100ml. Those who have a lesser hemoglobin level would be diagnosed as anemic.

Types of anemia
The main types of anemia are classified based on many factors like the cause. The main types of anemia are as follows:

Iron deficiency anemia
This is the most common type of anemia. This happens when the body does not have sufficient iron in the body. This can be because of blood loss or lack of iron in the diet. It is more common in women. Early symptoms of this disease are mild but it increases as it progresses.

It can be treated usually by consuming iron-rich foods and taking iron supplements. Any underlying disease may need to be treated to solve this problem.

Aplastic anemia
This is a disorder where the production of blood cells stops. This can lead to various complications, and if not treated promptly, can lead to fatal consequences. It happens as a side effect of cancer or can be an autoimmune disorder. Medication, blood transfusion, and stem cell treatments are needed to treat this disease, depending on its extent.

Sickle cell anemia
This is usually an inherited condition and occurs due to the shape of the RBCs. It can cause a variety of symptoms and can lead to serious problems like a stroke. There is no treatment for this disease, its symptoms need to be managed. Medication and stem cell transplant are common ways to treat this condition.

Thalassemia
Thalassemia is a form of anemia that is due to genes. It occurs in mild forms that may not even need to be treated. However, it can lead to complications that may need treatment. Medication, blood transfusion, and stem cell transplant are the courses of treatment where the symptoms are moderate or severe.

Vitamin deficiency anemia
This form of anemia is related to deficiency in vitamins C and B12. As the extent of deficiency increases, so do the symptoms of anemia.

Treatment is by ensuring vitamins are obtained in the diet or the form of supplements.

The article on basic facts of the main types of anemia would have helped you understand what anemia is, what the different types of anemia are, and the basic facts about them.