Symptoms of Anemia

Symptoms of anemia vary depending on the severity of the condition. Symptoms can sometimes be vague and be detected only during a clinical examination and investigation.

In general, the symptoms and signs of anemia may include the following:

Pica, defined as the craving or compulsive ingestion of non-food substances such as earth, clay, chalk, wax, soap and grass may be a symptom of iron deficiency anemia, although it may also occur in those who have normal levels of hemoglobin.¹

Iron deficiency had also been shown to contribute to the pathophysiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.² Chronic anemia may result in behavioral disturbances and reduced academic performance in children of school-going age.

Anemia, which is severe will trigger a compensatory mechanism in the body which responds by increasing the cardiac output, leading to heart failure. The incidence of anemia in patients with heart failure is as high as 50%. Although the causes are multifactorial, inflammation appears to be the primary cause of anemia in heart failure, along with effects from increased plasma volume, effects of drug therapy and other complications of heart disease.³