American Society and Anemia

Anemia Case Study The circumstances and preliminary workup in Ms. A's case indicates that she is suffering from a certain type of anemia. Even though she is an apparently healthy woman, Ms. A's conditions worsen during her menstruation period. Generally, anemia is a condition that is brought by the impaired or increased generation of erythrocytes and is also known as iron poor blood. Athletes who engage in endurance training such as Ms. A are sometimes faced with the likelihood of developing anemia.

Given the circumstances and laboratory test results of Ms. A, there is need to identify the specific type of anemia she is suffering from through proper diagnosis in order to provide the most suitable treatment. Based on the evidence presented in this case, Ms. A is suffering from iron-deficiency anemia, which is a common type of anemia brought by decrease in iron concentration in blood and the levels of hemoglobin.

Harper, Conrad & Besa (2016) state that this kind of anemia develops when an individual's body stores minimal iron that cannot support the normal production of red blood cells. This type of anemia is usually a by-product of several factors including inadequate intake of iron, insufficient iron storage, and significant loss of iron. The extreme loss of iron that contributes to iron-deficiency anemia is sometimes caused by bleeding and loss of body iron in the urine.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia include cold intolerance, fatigue, poor academic performance, changed behavior, reduced capability to carry out hard labor, and leg cramps. Rationale for Ms. A's Diagnosis One of the reasons for diagnosing Ms. A with iron deficiency anemia is her low levels of hemoglobin, reticulocyte, hematocrit, and erythrocyte. Her levels of these different aspects are below the basic levels of a healthy status and are general signs of anemic status.

Additionally, there are signs of decreased oxygen supply in the cells as shown by increased heart and respiratory rates, low blood pressure, and elevated temperatures. According to the American Society of Hematology (n.d.), an individual is diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia if he/she exhibits certain signs include low hemoglobin levels, low hematocrit levels, and low iron saturation. Since these signs are evident in Ms. A's situation, especially low hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, she is suffering from iron deficiency anemia.

Secondly, Ms A's chronic menorrhagia that has lasted for nearly 12 years is one of the major causes of symptoms associated with iron deficiency anemia. Manorrhagia is a term utilized to refer to extreme menstrual loss that usually leads to chronic iron deficiency anemia. Manorrhagia is usually a common gynecological problem for women who are suffering from bleeding disorders (Lee, Berntorp & Hoots, 2011). Blood loss due to menstruation, as shown in this scenario, is one of the major causes of iron deficiency anemia among adult population. Ms.

A's bleeding problems during menstruation is seemingly worsened by her tendency to take aspirin nearly every four hours during her menses. Moreover, she usually takes aspirin when playing golf in attempts to prevent stiffening of joints. While her reasons for taking aspirin are logical, they have contributed to the bleeding problems during menstruation and resulted in iron deficiency anemia. This is largely because aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs can contribute to extreme gastrointenstinal.