Anaemia occurs when your blood does not have enough red blood cells.
This can happen if the body does not make enough red blood cells, bleeding, which causes loss of red blood cells more quickly than they can be replaced or the body destroys red blood cells.
The body makes three types of blood cells- white blood cells to fight infection, platelets to help your blood clot and red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body.
Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red colour.
Haemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body and to carry carbon dioxide from other parts of the body to the lungs so that it can be exhaled.
Most blood cells, including red blood cells, are produced regularly in your bone marrow-a spongy material found within the cavities of many of the large bones.
To produce haemoglobin and red blood cells, the body needs iron, vitamin B-12, folate and other nutrients from the foods we eat.
Causes of anaemia
Different types of anaemia and their causes include:
. Iron deficiency anaemia: This is the most common type of anaemia worldwide.
Iron deficiency anaemia is caused by a shortage of iron in the body. Your bone marrow needs iron to make haemoglobin.
Source: Guardian Newspaper
