Anemia symptoms

Symptoms of Anemia

Approximately 75% of all cancer patients report symptoms of fatigue,13,14 which can present as weakness, listlessness, low energy, trouble starting and finishing tasks, and the need to sleep during the day.9,14-17 While fatigue is the primary symptom of anemia in cancer patients, anemia can also cause a range of other symptoms, including palpitations, impaired cognitive function, nausea, reduced skin temperature, impaired immune function, dizziness, headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, and depression.

anemia symptoms

Anemia is often underrecognized and undertreated.
Anemia is associated with many chronic diseases and other conditions.
If left untreated, anemia can have serious consequences.
Anemia can be readily managed by current therapies.

Anemia symptoms may be vague, and it is present in a substantial number of patients with a variety of chronic and serious diseases. Frequently, however, anemia remains undetected because it is masked by symptoms of the diseases with which it is associated, including chronic kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The Burden of Anemia

Because anemia affects the delivery of oxygen to all of the body’s organs, its signs and symptoms are varied.

It is generally accepted that the symptoms of anemia adversely affect quality of life (QOL), even when anemia is mild. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), severe impairment of QOL may occur in as many as 31% of patients.13 Several factors contribute to poor QOL in these patients, including low Hb or Hct. Anemia in patients with cancer contributes to fatigue and may reduce patients’ ability to function normally, thus reducing QOL.12,14,15 The corollary to this is that the correction of anemia is associated with improved QOL. In fact, improved Hb and Hct values are associated with better scores on QOL assessments in a variety of disease states, including CKD,13,16,17 inflammatory bowel disease,18 rheumatoid arthritis,16,19 cancer,20,21 and HIV/AIDS.22-24