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Define Hemolytic Anemias
Hemolytic Anemias : Can be defined as a Medical condition where the body attacks and destroys it's own red blood cells faster than the way the body produces red blood cells. This could be as a result of an inherited condition that deforms the shape of the red blood cells or an auto immune response in the body.
It is the red blood cells that helps our body to function well because it spreads oxygen to various parts of our body, but when this red blood cells are broken down or suffers a rupture this condition is what we call Hemolytic Anemias.
Define Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle Anemia: This can be defined as a disease that affects the shape of the red blood cells and cause it to produce abnormal haemoglobin.
A normal blood cell is very soft/flexible and is as round as a ball, this makes it easier to pass through various blood vessels freely, But in Sickle Cell Anemia, the blood cells are rigid, curved like a banana or a Sickle and as a result they usually unable to move freely in the small blood vessels making it difficult to disparse oxygen to various parts of the body.
Sickle Cell Anemia is passed down from parents to offspring.
Intravascular hemolysis vs Extravascular hemolysis
Whenever you hear the word Hemolysis just know that it means the red blood cells that carries haemoglobin have or are been destroyed, when the red blood cells breaks it releases haemoglobin inside or outside the blood vessel, therefore hemolysis may occur within (Intravascular) or outside (Extravascular) the blood vessel.
Below Is a close comparison between Intravascular and extravascular hemolysis.
INTRAVASCULAR HEMOLYSIS
- Hemolysis takes place within the blood vessels.
- As red blood cells breaks down it releases haemoglobin.
- Haemoglobin finds it's way into the bloodstream (hemoglobinuria) and urine (hemoglobinuria)
EXTRAVASCULAR HEMOLYSIS
Typically occurs outside the blood vessel usually around the spleen or liver area.
Macrophages destroys the red blood cells this can result to increase in bilirubin levels as well as enlarged spleen and so many other health issues
A Case of Hemolytic Anemia
A little boy was rushed into the paediatric emergency ward. He was losing strength and appeared to be in severe pain. His parents complained That their son always suffers from headaches, lately his eyes and skin are colouring yellow, so the doctor asks the parents if any of them has a history of any kind of illness that could possibly be transmitted to their son, the mother has a history of Autoimmune thyroiditis.
Medical laboratory test was carried out on the little boy and he was diagnosed with Hemolytic Anemia. These were the symptoms he presented :
- Worsening Fatigue
- Pale skin
- Yellowish discolouration of the eyes
- Headaches
- Dizziness
Treatment
Though Hemolytic anemia has no permanent cure, it can be properly managed with good medications. So the little boy's case was handled effectively through the means below :
Blood transfusion was given so as the replace the lost red blood cells
Routine drugs such as folic acid supplements was prescribed
Corticosteriods was also administered by the doctor this is an anti inflammatory medicine.
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