What diseases can cause severe anemia?

Once anemia is detected during examination, timely conditioning and treatment must be taken to prevent the anemia from becoming more severe, because severe anemia may cause cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, reproductive and urinary system diseases, which can be quite harmful.

(1) Symptoms of severe anemia in the cardiovascular system:

Palpitations and shortness of breath after physical activity are the most common symptoms. When anemia is severe or there is heart failure, palpitations and shortness of breath may occur even when resting. Patients with coronary artery disease may experience angina pectoris. Some patients do not usually suffer from angina pectoris, but angina pectoris may occur due to anemia which aggravates the degree of myocardial ischemia. During physical examination, a soft mid-systolic murmur can often be heard at the base or apex of the heart. People with chronic anemia often have an enlarged heart. Once the anemia is corrected, the murmur and heart enlargement may disappear. When anemia is more severe, a high-output state may occur. The clinical characteristics of the high-output state are: dilation of the jugular vein, increased pressure, dilation of the peripheral blood vessels manifested as collapsed pulses and capillary pulsations, warm skin, and possible flushing. When myocardial compensatory function is insufficient, congestive heart failure may occur. Common ECG changes include ST segment depression, flattened or inverted T waves, and mostly normal QRS waves. When anemia is corrected, the above ECG changes will return to normal.

Patients with severe anemia, even without heart failure, often experience mild edema in the lower limbs when they get up. The cause of its occurrence may be related to factors such as the temporary increase in venous and capillary pressure during activity, increased capillary permeability, and sodium retention.

(2) Neurological manifestations:

When anemia is severe, neurological symptoms are also common, especially in elderly patients. Common symptoms include dizziness, headache, tinnitus, blurred vision, black spots or stars in front of the eyes, lack of energy, fatigue and drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, slow reaction, numbness in the hands and feet, chills or tingling. Severe anemia may cause fainting. If anemia occurs suddenly, the patient often becomes irritable and restless.

(3) Digestive system manifestations:

Loss of appetite is one of the most common symptoms. Abdominal distension, discomfort in the epigastric area, nausea, and constipation may also occur. Sometimes there may be tongue pain and a smooth tongue coating. In severe anemia, the liver may be slightly enlarged, which is particularly obvious when heart failure occurs, and is often tender.