Blood Disorders
|
Blood Disorders
ANEMIA
Anemia is the most common blood disorder. Anemia is a condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness. There are different types of anemia: Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. It happens when you do not have enough iron in your body. Vitamin-deficiency anemia may result from low levels of vitamin B12 or folate (folic acid), usually due to poor dietary intake. Aplastic anemia is a rare form of anemia that occurs when the body stops making enough red blood cells. Common causes include viral infections, exposure to toxic chemicals, drugs, and autoimmune diseases. Hemolytic anemia occurs when red blood cells are broken up in the bloodstream or in the spleen. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited hemolytic anemia in which the hemoglobin protein is abnormal, causing the red blood cells to be rigid and clog the circulation because they are unable to flow through small blood vessels. |
BLEEDING DISORDER
Bleeding disorders are a group of conditions that result when the blood cannot clot properly. In normal clotting, platelets, a type of blood cell, stick together and form a plug at the site of an injured blood vessel. Bleeding can result from either too few or abnormal platelets, abnormal or low amounts of clotting proteins, or abnormal blood vessels. Hemophilia is perhaps the most well-known inherited bleeding disorder, although it is relatively rare. It affects mostly males. This is a rare bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally. If you have hemophilia, you may bleed for a longer time than others after an injury. You also may bleed inside your body (internally), especially in your knees, ankles, and elbows. von Willebrand disease, the most common inherited bleeding disorder in America caused by clotting proteins. Von Willebrand disease is an inherited condition that results when the blood lacks functioning von Willebrand factor, a protein that helps the blood to clot and also carries another clotting protein, factor VIII. |
BLOOD CANCERS
Blood cancers affect the production and function of your blood cells. Most of these cancers start in your bone marrow where blood is produced. In most blood cancers, the normal blood cell development process is interrupted by uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of blood cell. These abnormal blood cells, or cancerous cells, prevent your blood from performing many of its functions, like fighting off infections or preventing serious bleeding. There are 3 main types of Blood Cancer: Leukemia, a type of cancer found in your blood and bone marrow, is caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. The high number of abnormal white blood cells are not able to fight infection, and they impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets. Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which removes excess fluids from your body and produces immune cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that fight infection. Abnormal lymphocytes become lymphoma cells, which multiply and collect in your lymph nodes and other tissues. Over time, these cancerous cells impair your immune system. Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce disease- and infection-fighting antibodies in your body. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, leaving your body's immune system weakened and susceptible to infection. |
by Katrina Retuya