Final answer:
Anemia is often due to reduced RBC production or hemoglobin deficits, leading to conditions like aplastic anemia and thalassemia. These disorders result in insufficient oxygen delivery to tissues, causing a range of symptoms including fatigue and increased infection risk.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anemias and Red Blood Cell Disorders
Anemia is a condition characterized by an insufficient number of red blood cells (RBCs) or by the deficient hemoglobin content within these cells, leading to decreased oxygen transport to body tissues. Specific types of anemia are caused by faulty or decreased RBC production, which includes conditions such as aplastic anemia, thalassemia, and sickle cell anemia. Aplastic anemia can manifest as a deficit in RBC stem cells, potentially due to genetics or environmental triggers such as radiation or medication. On the other hand, thalassemia involves abnormal maturation of RBCs and is generally inherited, often seen in people from the Middle East, Mediterranean, African, and Southeast Asian regions. Common tests for analyzing anemia include Mean Corpuscle Volume (MCV) and reticulocyte counts. Clinical symptoms from these disorders can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and an increased risk for infection due to the reduction in oxygen supply to tissues.
Additionally, exposure to lead and conditions like protein energy malnutrition can further impair RBC function and contribute to anemia. Anemias can also result because of excessive destruction of RBCs, leading to conditions with myriad symptoms such as morphologic abnormalities, macrocytic anemia, and poor growth.