National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Anemia is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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National Institutes of Health
Anemia
Also called: Iron poor blood
If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. 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.
Your iron might be too low because of
- Heavy periods
- Pregnancy
- Ulcers
- Colon polyps or colon cancer
- Inherited disorders
- A diet that does not have enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B12
- Blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, or cancer
- Aplastic anemia, a condition that can be inherited or acquired
Anemia can make you feel weak, cold, dizzy and irritable. It is confirmed with a blood test. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Blood Smear(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Bone Marrow Tests(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Complete Blood Count(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Direct Antiglobulin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Ferritin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Hemoglobin Variants(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Iron(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Reticulocyte Count Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- TIBC, UIBC and Transferrin(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Vitamin B12 and Folate Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Treatment
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Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Blood Transfusion(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Drug Safety Communication: Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESAs)(Food and Drug Administration)
- How Is Anemia Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- How Is Hemolytic Anemia Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- How Is Iron-Deficiency Anemia Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- How Is Pernicious Anemia Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- What to Know: ASCO's Guideline on Epoetin and Darbepoetin Treatment(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - PDF
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Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant
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Nutrition
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Iron(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
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Vitamin B12(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
- Also available in Spanish
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Iron
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Specific Conditions
- Anemia Due to Excessive Bleeding(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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Anemia of Inflammation and Chronic Disease(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Facts about Diamond Blackfan Anemia(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Hemoglobin C, S-C, and E Diseases(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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Hemolytic Anemia(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Iron-Deficiency Anemia
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria(Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation)
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Pernicious Anemia(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Vitamin Deficiency Anemia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Related Issues
- Anemia(New Mexico AIDS Education and Training Center)
- Also available in Spanish
- Anemia and Fatigue(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
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Anemia in Kidney Disease and Dialysis(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Anemia in People with Cancer(American Cancer Society)
- Blood Transfusions(Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation)
- Craving and Chewing Ice: A Sign of Anemia?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Iron Overload(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
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Videos
- How Hereditary Spherocytosis Causes Anemia(American Society of Hematology)
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Anatomy/Physiology
- Blood(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Anemia(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Anemia
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Diamond-Blackfan anemia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Hereditary folate malabsorption(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Hereditary spherocytosis(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Majeed syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Mucolipidosis type IV(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Phosphoglycerate kinase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Pyruvate kinase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: X-linked sideroblastic anemia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: X-linked sideroblastic anemia and ataxia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Directories
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Directory of Hematologic Diseases Organizations(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- PDF
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Directory of Hematologic Diseases Organizations
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Organizations
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Statistics
- FastStats: Anemia or Iron Deficiency(National Center for Health Statistics)
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Children
- About Anemia(Nemours Foundation)
- Anemia(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Anemia in the Newborn(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- G6PD Deficiency (Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase)(Nemours Foundation)
- Iron Deficiency in Children: Prevention Tips for Parents(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Iron-Deficiency Anemia(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Teenagers
- Anemia(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Women
- Anemia(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Anemia and Pregnancy(American Society of Hematology)
- Pregnancy Complications: Anemia(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Seniors
- Anemia(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
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Patient Handouts
- Anemia
- Also available in Spanish
- Anemia - B12 deficiency
- Also available in Spanish
- Anemia of chronic disease
- Also available in Spanish
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Anemia of Inflammation and Chronic Disease
- Bone marrow biopsy
- Also available in Spanish
- Congenital spherocytic anemia
- Also available in Spanish
- Folate-deficiency anemia
- Also available in Spanish
- Hemolytic anemia
- Also available in Spanish
- Hemolytic anemia caused by chemicals and toxins
- Also available in Spanish
- Immune hemolytic anemia
- Also available in Spanish
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Also available in Spanish
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Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Anemia
(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
- Pernicious anemia
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
- Aase syndrome
- Anemia
- Anemia - B12 deficiency
- Anemia of chronic disease
- Antiparietal cells antibodies
- Bone marrow biopsy
- Congenital spherocytic anemia
- Donath-Landsteiner test
- Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia
- Erythropoietin test
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Febrile/cold agglutinins
Ferritin
Folate-deficiency anemia
Ham test
Hemoglobin C disease
Hemoglobin electrophoresis
Hemolytic anemia
Hemolytic anemia caused by chemicals and toxins
Hemolytic crisis
Idiopathic aplastic anemia
Immune hemolytic anemia
Iron deficiency anemia
Iron deficiency anemia - children
Lactate dehydrogenase test
LDH isoenzymes
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)
Pernicious anemia
Plummer-Vinson syndrome/esophageal web
Pyruvate kinase
Schilling test
Serum iron
Stool guaiac test
Subacute combined degeneration
Sugar-water hemolysis test
Total iron binding capacity
Vitamin B12 level
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Febrile/cold agglutinins
Languages
Anemia - Multiple Languages
