This Is The Link Between Anemia And Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Anemia is a term used to describe a condition when the number of red blood cells in the body is too low. In general, there are three general types of blood cells, namely red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells are part of the blood that carries oxygen throughout the body.
One interesting fact that is important to know is that anemia has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease. More precisely, people who have inflammatory bowel disease are at risk of developing anemia. Why is that? Come on, see the following explanation!
Reasons for People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Risk of Anemia
According to research published in the American Journal of Hematology, people with inflammatory bowel disease are at risk of developing anemia. One of the causes is poor absorption of vitamins and minerals which occurs due to inflammation or diarrhea.
If your intestines can't absorb enough iron, folate, vitamin B12, and other nutrients, your body won't have what it needs to make more red blood cells.
Another reason people with inflammatory bowel disease are at risk of anemia is the blood loss that can occur from Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Continuous blood loss, especially in an amount that the body cannot easily replenish, causes anemia.
The good news is, many cases of anemia can be treated effectively. When inflammatory bowel disease reaches remission (or nearly) and bleeding is reduced, it will significantly help anemia. Iron supplements or even iron infusions can also be used to treat anemia in some cases.
What are the symptoms of anemia?
Many cases of anemia are considered mild, but even mild anemia can cause symptoms and may require treatment. More severe forms are rare but can cause a number of complications.
Some of them are quite serious, such as organ damage or heart failure. The symptoms of anemia include:
- Fatigue.
- Dizzy.
- Sensitive or irritable.
- Numbness, or coldness in the hands or feet.
- Pale skin.
- Shortness of breath and fast heart rate.
- Weakness.
- Chest pain (this is rare).
Various Types of Anemia That Can Happen
Anemia is divided into many types. Treatment that can be done depends on the type of anemia and the underlying cause. If anemia has led to the development of other complications, treatment may be needed to treat those problems as well.
Here are some types of anemia that can occur:
- Aplastic anemia. When the bone marrow stops producing new blood cells, this is a condition called aplastic anemia. This type of anemia is quite rare. Causes include genetic factors, radiation and chemotherapy, exposure to toxins, use of drugs, autoimmune disorders, viral infections (such as hepatitis), pregnancy (very rarely), and bone marrow disease.
- Iron deficiency anemia. This condition is the most common type of anemia. It can be caused by a lack of iron-rich foods, iron malabsorption, and blood loss.
- Vitamin deficiency anemia. Poor absorption of folic acid and vitamin B12 due to intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease or other conditions, as well as insufficient intake of vitamins from food, can lead to this type of anemia.
- Chronic disease anemia. Several chronic diseases can interfere with red blood cell production, including AIDS, cancer, liver disease, chronic inflammatory disease, kidney failure, and arthritis.
- Hemolytic anemia. In this type of anemia, the destruction of red blood cells occurs faster than new red blood cells can be produced. Some of the causes include autoimmune disorders or drugs used to treat infections.