Types of Anemia

There are several different types of anaemia and most common types of anaemia are:

1.     Iron deficiency anaemia

The most common form of anaemia is iron deficiency anaemia which is usually due to chronic blood loss caused by excessive menstruation. Increased demands for iron, such as foetal growth in pregnancy, and children undergoing rapid growth spurts in infancy and adolescence.

2.     Thalassaemia

Thalassaemias are inherited blood disorders which cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less haemoglobin (an iron-rich protein in red blood cells).

The two major types of thalassaemia are alpha- and beta thalassaemia. The most severe form of alpha thalassaemia is known as alpha thalassaemia major or hydrops fetalis, while the severe form of beta thalassaemia is known as thalassaemia major or Cooley's anaemia.

Thalassaemias affect both males and females and occur most often in people of Italian,

3.     Aplastic anaemia

Aplastic anaemia is a blood disorder in which the body's bone marrow doesn't make enough new blood cells. Aplastic anaemia is a rare but serious condition. It can develop suddenly or slowly and tends to worsen with time, unless the cause is found and treated.

4.     Haemolytic anaemia

Haemolytic anaemia is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is up. A number of diseases, conditions and factors can cause the body to destroy its red blood cells. Haemolytic anaemia can lead to various health problems such as fatigue, pain, arrhythmias, an enlarged heart and heart failure.

There are many types of haemolytic anaemias – some of which are inherited and others that are acquired.

5.     Sickle cell anaemia

Sickle cell anaemia is a serious disease in which the body makes sickle-shaped ("C"-shaped) red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are disk-shaped and move easily through your blood vessels. Red blood cells contain the protein haemoglobin (an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red colour and carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body).

Sickle cells contain abnormal haemoglobin that causes the cells to have a sickle shape, which don’t move easily through the blood vessels – they are stiff and sticky and tend to form clumps and get stuck in the blood vessels.

The clumps of sickle cells block blood flow in the blood vessels that lead to the limbs and organs. Blocked blood vessels can cause pain, serious infections, and organ damage.

In sickle cell anaemia, a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells occurs because sickle cells don't last very long. Sickle cells usually die after about 10 to 20 days and the body can't reproduce red blood cells fast enough to replace the dying ones, which causes anaemia.

6.     Pernicious anaemia

Pernicious anaemia is a condition in which the body can't make enough healthy red blood cells because it doesn't have enough vitamin B12 (a nutrient found in certain foods). People who have pernicious anaemia can't absorb enough vitamin B12 due to a lack of intrinsic factor (a protein made in the stomach). However, other conditions and factors can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency.

7.     Fanconi anaemia

Fanconi anaemia, or FA, is a rare, inherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. FA is a type of aplastic anaemia that prevents your bone marrow from making enough new blood cells for your body to work normally. FA can also cause your bone marrow to make many abnormal blood cells. This can lead to serious health problems, such as leukemia.

FA is a blood disorder, but it can also affect many of the body's organs, tissues, and systems. Children who inherit FA are at higher risk of being born with birth defects, and people who have FA are at higher risk of some cancers and other serious health problems.

FA is an unpredictable disease. The average lifespan for people with FA is between 20 and 30 years. The most common causes of death related to FA are bone marrow failure, leukemia, and solid tumours.