What are the typical early general signs and symptoms of anemia?

Symptoms
  • Fatigue.
  • Weakness.
  • Pale or yellowish skin.
  • Irregular heartbeats.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Chest pain.
  • Cold hands and feet.
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What are 5 symptoms of anemia?

Iron deficiency anemia signs and symptoms may include:
  • Extreme fatigue.
  • Weakness.
  • Pale skin.
  • Chest pain, fast heartbeat or shortness of breath.
  • Headache, dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Cold hands and feet.
  • Inflammation or soreness of your tongue.
  • Brittle nails.
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What is the first stage of anemia?

Stage 1 is characterized by decreased bone marrow iron stores; hemoglobin (Hb) and serum iron remain normal, but the serum ferritin level falls to < 20 ng/mL (44.9 pmol/L). The compensatory increase in iron absorption causes an increase in iron-binding capacity (transferrin level).
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What are the top 10 symptoms of anemia?

Common Anemia Symptoms
  1. Breathing Issues, Dizziness, and Headaches. When you're healthy, abundant oxygen is conveyed to the heart, muscles, and organs. ...
  2. Chest Pains and Palpitations. ...
  3. Cold Hands and Feet. ...
  4. Cramping and Tingling in Limbs. ...
  5. Fatigue. ...
  6. Hypothyroidism. ...
  7. Iron and Vitamin B-12 Deficiency. ...
  8. Unusually Pale Complexion and Nails.
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Which symptom of anemia occurs most commonly?

With all forms of anemia, tiredness or fatigue is the most common symptom because of low red blood cell count. Shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, coldness in your hands and feet, pale or yellowish skin, and chest pain are other signs.
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Iron-Deficiency Anemia (Overview) | Causes, Pathophysiology, Signs



What are the side effects of being anemic?

Symptoms
  • Fatigue.
  • Weakness.
  • Pale or yellowish skin.
  • Irregular heartbeats.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Chest pain.
  • Cold hands and feet.
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What are the 3 main causes of anemia?

Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction.
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Do your legs ache with anemia?

Severe anemia may cause painful lower leg cramps during exercise, shortness of breath, and chest pain, especially if people already have impaired blood circulation in the legs or certain types of lung or heart disease. Some symptoms may also give clues to the cause of the anemia.
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Can you tell if you are anemic by your eyes?

If you pull your lower eyelid down while looking in a mirror, the inside layer should be a vibrant red color. If it's a very pale pink or yellow, you may have iron deficiency. In people with darker skin tones, the eyelid may be the only area where this condition is noticeable.
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What are the 6 types of anemia?

In this Article
  • Aplastic (or Hypoplastic) Anemia.
  • Sideroblastic Anemia.
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes.
  • Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia.
  • Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia (CDA)
  • Diamond-Blackfan Anemia.
  • Megaloblastic Anemia.
  • Fanconi Anemia.
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What does anemia fatigue feel like?

If you're feeling tired or weak, having trouble sleeping and are unable to tolerate even moderate exercise, anemia could be the culprit. Anemia develops when there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen through your body.
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What are the 3 stages of anemia?

Iron deficiency commonly occurs in three stages.
  • Stage 1: Diminished total-body iron content. This stage is identified by a reduction in serum ferritin. ...
  • Stage 2: Reduced red blood cell formation. ...
  • Stage 3: Iron deficiency anemia.
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How quickly does anemia progress?

In chronic anemia, symptoms typically begin slowly and progress gradually; whereas in acute anemia symptoms can be abrupt and more distressing. Red blood cells live about 100 days, so the body is constantly trying to replace them. In adults, red blood cell production occurs in the bone marrow.
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How can you detect anemia?

To diagnose anemia, your doctor is likely to ask you about your medical and family history, perform a physical exam, and run the following tests:
  1. Complete blood count (CBC). A CBC is used to count the number of blood cells in a sample of your blood. ...
  2. A test to determine the size and shape of your red blood cells.
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What happens if anemia goes untreated?

Anemia if not treated for a long period can lead to serious complications. These include heart failure, severe weakness and poor immunity. Anemia is a medical condition in which the person does not have enough red blood cells or RBCs. The RBCs in the blood carry iron a specialized protein called hemoglobin.
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What kind of headache does anemia cause?

Like a lack of iron, low levels of some vitamins, such as B-12 and folate, can cause anemia. These types of anemia also result in reduced oxygen levels in the brain, which can cause basic headaches.
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What does an anemic tongue look like?

Pernicious Anemia Tongue Symptoms

Pernicious anemia causes the tongue's surface to look smooth and appear red instead of the pinkish color of a normal tongue. The tongue might also appear thick or beefy in texture. Some tongues might even be swollen or seem to have cracks.
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What do nails look like with anemia?

Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you eat.
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Can low iron cause stuffy nose?

Yes. Because white blood cells are responsible for fighting harmful bacteria, patients with aplastic anemia are frequently at a much higher risk of sinus infections.
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Can anemia cause gas and bloating?

According to Duker Freuman, if you find out you're deficient in iron but still eat a diet that includes iron-rich foods like meat, it could mean you have Celiac disease. "Any bloating that's accompanied with a nutritional deficiency needs to be looked into," Duker Freuman told INSIDER.
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Can anemia cause joint and muscle pain?

Furthermore, headache and muscle and joint pain associated with iron deficiency are repeatedly considered migraine and fibromyalgia syndrome, respectively 3, 19. The multitude of symptoms is commonly associated low ferritin concentration without anemia 1, 17, 20, 21, 22.
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Can low iron cause neck and shoulder pain?

Conclusions: Although Iron and vitamin D deficiency cannot be isolated as the sole risk factors of chronic neck pain, they should be considered as two modifiable risk. The high prevalence of chronic neck pain, hypovitaminosis D and low ferritin amongst women is of concern.
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What causes anemia in older adults?

The most common causes of anemia in the elderly are chronic disease and iron deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency, folate deficiency, gastrointestinal bleeding and myelodysplastic syndrome are among other causes of anemia in the elderly.
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Can anemia cause shortness of breath?

If you have anemia, your body does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. The lack of oxygen can make you feel tired or weak. You may also have shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, or an irregular heartbeat.
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What is mild anemia?

Anemia is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on the concentrations of hemoglobin in the blood. Mild anemia corresponds to a level of hemoglobin concentration of 10.0-10.9 g/dl for pregnant women and children under age 5 and 10.0-11.9 g/dl for nonpregnant women.
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