Brianna Laplante

I thought last night’s lecture on blood was really interesting.  Blood is a connective tissue in our bodies that is vital to human survival.  I decided to look up more information on a fairly common blood disorder known as anemia.  Anemia is a condition in which a person’s blood has a below normal amount of erythrocytes/red blood cells, or the red blood cells don’t have enough hemoglobin.  Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.  In people with anemia, their blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of the body.  As a result, people with anemia feel tired, along with other symptoms because their bodies are not receiving enough oxygen. 

In severe or prolonged cases of anemia, the lack of oxygen in the blood can cause serious, sometimes fatal damage to the heart and other organs of the body.  In some kinds of anemia, there are low amounts of the the 3 types of blood cells–thrombocytes, erythrocytes and leukocytes.  Certain types of anemia may be severe, long-lasting and life threatening if not diagnosed and treated.  On the flip side, some types of anemia can be mild, short-lived and easily treated. 

After learning the basics about anemia….my main questions was who is at risk??

I soon learned that women and people with chronic diseases are at greater risk for anemia.  Women during their childbearing age are at greatest risk because they lose blood from menstruation and childbirth.  Older adults and infants younger than 2 are also at risk for anemia.  Unfortunately, anemia can also be inherited!  Methods such as consulting your doctor and changing your diet and adding supplements can also help prevent some types of anemia.  More than 3 million people have anemia in the U.S!!  Keep this in mind everyone, especially the ladies in the class!

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