Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia - Diagnosis and Treatment

Anemia in simple term is lack of enough red cells in the blood. Anemia caused by iron deficiency is called mild or sever iron deficiency anemia depending on the condition.

Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia is confirmed by reduction in hemoglobin count. Iron forms hemoglobin - a substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body's tissues. A mild anemia may not have any symptoms but sever Iron Deficiency Anemia will cause progressive skin and mucosal changes including a smooth tongue and brittle nails.

Iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired, weak and pale as a result of low hemoglobin count which reduces oxygen supplied to body's tissues.

Diagnosis of mild or severe iron-deficiency anemia is done and decided by your doctor based on medical history, a physical exam, and the results from tests and procedures. If you're a woman, your doctor may ask whether you could be pregnant.

Sometimes the condition remains undetected, because mild to moderate iron deficiency anemia may not have any signs or symptoms. Doctor usually discover it from a screening test or while checking for other problems.

Your doctor look at any past history or problems, ask your dietary habbits and will do a physical exam to look for signs of mild or severe iron deficiency anemia. These include looking at your skin, gums, and nail beds to see whether they're pale or yellowish, checking whether the heartbeats are high, breathing is irregular and also checking if any bleeding from rectum.

Many tests and procedures are used for diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia and deciding how severe the condition is. These include complete blood count (CBC) including hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. Hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body's tissues. Hematocrit measures space red blood cells take up in your blood. A low level of hemoglobin or hematocrit is a sign of anemia.

The CBC also reveals the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood. Abnormal results may be a sign of infection, a blood disorder, or another condition.

If the CBC results confirm anemia, other blood tests are conducted to find out the causes, its severity, and the best way to treat it.

Your doctor may recommend tests to measure iron levels in your blood and body. These tests can show how much iron has been used from your body's stored iron. These tests include:

In case of severe iron deficiency anemia more tests including hormone levels, (especially thyroid hormone) and a blood test for erythrocyte protoporphyrin which is a building block for hemoglobin are done to pin point the real cause of low hemoglobin levels.

A fecal occult blood test is conducted to check if internal bleeding is causing iron deficiency anemia. This test looks for blood in the stools and detects bleeding in the intestines.

Appropriate treatment including iron supplements and other medication is provided after proper diagnosis of the iron deficiency anemia and deciding wither it is sever, moderate or mild.

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Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia - Diagnosis and Treatment

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