Patient's question:
Poor resistance, yellow complexion 2009,11Doctor's answer:
Analysis of the condition: Anemia depends on the type, as different types of anemia have different symptoms. For example:1. Megaloblastic Anemia:
- The onset is usually gradual.
- Deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12 can lead to megaloblastic anemia and gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency, especially in pernicious anemia patients, may cause neurological symptoms.
- Anemia is often severe, with general symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, etc.
- Some patients may have mild jaundice. The skin appears pale with mild jaundice, giving a special lemon-yellow (waxy) hue.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms include loss of appetite, indigestion, postprandial bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, glossitis, tongue pain, atrophy of tongue papillae, smooth tongue surface (mirror tongue), and a bright red tongue like (beef tongue).
- Neurological symptoms are characterized by abnormal sensations in the feet and hands, paresthesia, numbness, and gross sensory deficits. The earliest sign is loss of position sense in the second toe and disappearance of tuning fork vibration sense.
- It may progress to spastic ataxia due to degenerative changes in the lateral and posterior columns of the spinal cord, known as subacute combined degeneration.
- Symptoms include instability in standing and walking, decreased or absent knee and Achilles tendon reflexes, and positive Babinski sign and other pyramidal signs.
- In addition to peripheral nerves and the spinal cord, vitamin B12 deficiency also affects the brain, leading to lethargy, abnormal taste and smell, visual disturbances, dementia, depression, and schizoid-like psychosis. The most common abnormality is gait disturbance, while psychiatric symptoms are less common.
2. Aplastic Anemia:
- Clinical manifestations include anemia, bleeding, infection, and fever.
- The severity, progression, and severity of symptoms vary.
- It is generally classified as acute or chronic, as follows:
1. Acute Aplastic Anemia:
- More common in children and young adults, with a higher incidence in males.
- Often presents with emergency symptoms such as bleeding, fever, and anemia.
- The condition rapidly worsens with a short course.
- Main clinical symptoms include bleeding of the skin and mucosa, internal bleeding, hematuria, hematochezia, uterine bleeding, retinal bleeding, and cerebral hemorrhage.
- Cerebral hemorrhage is a leading cause of death.
- Severe infections and fever, such as pneumonia, cellulitis, sepsis, and oral infections, are also common causes of death.
2. Chronic Aplastic Anemia:
- More common in adults, with a higher incidence in males.
- The onset is usually gradual, often presenting with anemia, most commonly pale complexion, fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, and headaches.
- Bleeding and fever are less common, with bleeding typically occurring in fewer areas and being milder, most often in the skin, mucosa, and gums.
- Women may experience varying degrees of uterine bleeding.
- Infections are also milder.
- Acute and chronic types can transform into each other. Proper treatment of acute aplastic anemia may lead to gradual improvement and transition to chronic form. Conversely, chronic aplastic anemia may worsen and become acute.
3. Iron Deficiency Anemia:
- The onset is usually gradual, with gradual pallor or yellowish discoloration of the skin and mucosa.
- As it progresses, children may develop poor appetite, irritability, crying, lethargy, fatigue, dry hair.
- Some children may exhibit pica, such as craving ashes, wall plaster, or soil.
- Nails become thin, fragile, and flat, with some resembling spoon-shaped nails (concave center, raised edges).
- Patients have weakened immunity, with inflamed oral mucosa and anal skin, and frequent illnesses.
- Long-term anemia in children may lead to short stature, poor physical strength, poor concentration, impaired memory and understanding, and emotional and intellectual effects.
Advice:
Hemoglobin is essential for oxygen transport and exchange in the body. Due to iron deficiency, the production of hemoglobin is impaired, not only causing anemia but also affecting the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity. Severe cases may lead to palpitations, shortness of breath, and even cardiac enlargement, resulting in anemia-related heart disease. In summary, iron deficiency anemia affects children's growth and the function of various organs. If a child shows signs of iron deficiency and the symptoms mentioned above, it is best to have blood tests performed. If hemoglobin is below 120 g/L and red blood cells are below 4 million/cubic millimeter, it is likely that the child has anemia.