Haematology : Megaloblastic Anemia

Description

This course / small quiz is intended to make the learner aware of Megaloblastic Anemia, its causes and mamagement.

Megaloblastic anemia is a form of macrocytic anemia, a blood disorder that happens when your bone marrow produces stem cells that make abnormally large red blood cells.

Megaloblastic anemia is a type of vitamin deficiency anemia that happens when you don’t get enough vitamin B12 and/or vitamin B9 (folate).

Healthcare providers treat megaloblastic anemia with vitamin B12 and B9 supplements.

How does megaloblastic anemia affect my body?

Your body needs a certain amount of healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to your tissues and back again. Like all blood cells, red blood cells start as stem cells in your bone marrow. Vitamin B12 and vitamin B9 help form red blood cells. Without enough vitamin B12 or vitamin B9, your body produces abnormal cells called megaloblasts.

Megaloblasts don’t divide and reproduce like healthy cells, which means there are fewer red blood cells in your bone marrow. The abnormal cells are unusually large, so large they often can’t get out of your bone marrow to move into your bloodstream. And even if they do make their way into your bloodstream, the abnormal cells die earlier than healthy red blood cells. Combined, these factors reduce the number of red blood cells, causing anemia.

Is megaloblastic anemia a serious illness?

Megaloblastic anemia is caused in part by vitamin B12 deficiency. Left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause neurological issues, including memory loss, problems with balance and paresthesia, which is a sense of tingling or prickling in your arms and legs.

How common is megaloblastic anemia?

Megaloblastic anemia isn’t rare. Healthcare providers don’t have enough information to say exactly how many people may have megaloblastic anemia.

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES

What causes megaloblastic anemia?

Megaloblastic anemia happens when you don’t have enough vitamin B12 or vitamin B9 to make sure your bone marrow develops enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.

What causes vitamin B12 deficiency?

Some people develop vitamin B12 deficiency because their diet doesn’t include enough vitamin B12-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Some people develop vitamin B12 deficiency because they have conditions or have had medical treatments that affect their ability to absorb vitamin B12. Those conditions include

Pernicious anemia: This autoimmune disorder keeps your body from absorbing vitamin B12.

Gastrectomy: This surgery removes part of your stomach, which may affect vitamin B12 absorption.

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: This rare condition keeps your body from absorbing vitamin B12.

Blind loop syndrome: Blind loop syndrome happens when food you’ve digested stops moving through your intestines, causing bacteria overgrowth that uses up vitamin B12.

Fish tapeworm infestation: You can get a tapeworm infection or infestation by eating infected fish that was undercooked. Tapeworms feed on vitamin B12.

Pancreatic insufficiency: This condition affects your pancreas’ ability to make enough digestive enzymes to break down food, which means you may not get all the nutrients you need, including enough vitamin B12 or vitamin B9.

What causes vitamin B9 (folate) deficiency?

People may develop vitamin B9 (folate) deficiency if their daily diet doesn’t include green vegetables, fruits, meat and liver or foods that are enriched with folic acid. Other causes may include:

Digestive system diseases: Your digestive system doesn’t absorb folic acid well if you have a disease such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease.

Excessive alcohol use: People who drink large amounts of alcohol sometimes substitute alcohol for food. As a result, they don’t get enough folate.

Overcooking your fruits and vegetables: When you overcook produce, the heat can destroy naturally occurring folate.

Hemolytic anemia: A blood disorder that occurs when your red blood cells are broken down and your bone marrow can’t replace red blood cells fast enough.

Certain medications: Some antiseizure drugs and ulcerative colitis drugs interfere with the proper absorption of folate.

Dialysis: Sometimes, people receiving dialysis for kidney failure have poor appetites, which affects how much vitamin B12 they receive from food.

What are the signs and symptoms of megaloblastic anemia?

Megaloblastic anemia symptoms are similar to symptoms of other types of anemia:

Fatigue: This is feeling too tired to complete daily activities.

Weakness: You may feel as if you don’t have enough muscle strength to get around easily or manage daily activities.

Pallor: Your skin is more pale than usual.

Shortness of breath (dyspnea): You may feel as if you can’t catch your breath or take a deep breath.

Feeling light-headed or woozy: Feeling as if you may faint.

Vitamin B12 deficiency sometimes affects your nerves, causing symptoms like tingling sensations, loss of sensation or muscle weakness.

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