What is hemolytic anemia?
Hemolytic anemia concerns abnormally rapid decay of red blood cells. While most red blood cells live for three to four months, hemolytic anemia can be projected into a much faster decay, resulting in less than normal blood cells, excess bleeding, low iron and jaundice. The condition may be temporary and has numerous causes that are classified as genetic or acquired. Other conditions that may create haemolytic anemia are often rare disorders such as spherytosis, spleen disorder or elliptocytosis, where the blood cells themselves have an elliptical shape.
Autoimmune conditions, such as lupus in lupus, the body may begin to attack and decompose its own red blood cells. Some forms of mono and pneumonia can also cause disease as well as septic shock and malaria. High doses of penicillin have been indicated in the causing short seizures of hemolytic anemia and many illegal drugs can also create this abnormality of blood. Blood transfusion that is rh offpatible, may temporarily cause haemolytic anemia.
The main symptoms of haemolytic anemia are fatigue and in advanced cases of heart failure. Blood clotting may be affected and people may have a high incidence of bleeding after or after surgery. People with haemolytic anemia can also look hairs. Tests for the condition include blood coatings to evaluate whether there is a high number of blood cell fragments and bilirubin analysis. Depending on the cause of the condition, additional tests may be used to evaluate basic causes such as autoimmune disorder or the presence of the disease.
Treatment of the basic cause of haemolytic anemia is usually the first step in the treatment of the condition. Further treatment may be indicated by severity. They may include blood transfusions or steroid treatment. In some cases, people with a condition must undergo splenectomy, removal of spleen because it canthat be indicated in causing rapid death of red blood cells.
In newborns, a rare form of haemolytic anemia, called erythroblastosis fetalis, may occur and is usually caused by a mother that has a negative blood type, which is contrary to the positive blood type of the child (called rh incompatibility). This usually prevents a mother who receives special vaccination after the birth of her first child to prevent RH incompatibility with future children. If this is not prevented, this form of hemolytic anemia for newborns can be very serious, resulting in brain damage. Knowledge of blood types and their influence on the fetus has now made this condition rare in developed countries.