Anemia occurs when the amount of healthy red blood cells in your body is too low. These red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen to the body’s tissues and a low red blood cell count is a sign that your body is lower in oxygen than it should be. The lack of oxygen is what causes most of the symptoms of anemia and the condition affects more than 1.6 billion people worldwide. The signs and symptoms depend entirely on the cause of anemia.

The three main types of anemia and their early warning signs and symptoms include the following:

1. Iron Deficient Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia is a form of anemia that’s caused by a lack of blood cells. To carry blood properly throughout the body, these cells must be healthy or they cause the deficiency that results in low iron. Unfortunately, when this condition occurs, the individual may show the following early signs and symptoms:

• Weak and brittle nails
• Pale skin
• Cold feet and hands
• Headaches, lightheadedness, and dizziness
• Sore tongue
• Extreme tiredness
• Strange cravings for unusual things like dirt, starch, and ice
• Shortness of breath and chest pains
• Weakness

If the doctor diagnoses a patient with this form of anemia, they are usually treated with iron supplements to correct the issues.

2. B-12 deficiency anemia

Some people may not be diagnosed with an iron deficiency but may still have anemia that stems from a lack of nutrients in the body. Therefore, the individual may be suffering from a vitamin b12 deficiency that comes from not getting the right foods and supplements from the vitamin B12. Today’s physicians can run tests to confirm what they may already know. This is especially the case if the person is showing the following signs and symptoms:

• Smooth tongue
• Major behavioral changes
• Depression
• Pale skin
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea or gas
• Constipation
• Nerve problems that affect walking, muscles, and numbness in the fingers
• Vision loss

3. Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited medical condition that affects the red blood cells. Instead of the red blood cells being healthy, they are sticky, rigid, and shaped like crescents or sickles. It is a very painful condition that has no cure. The signs and symptoms of this medical condition include the following:

• Periodic episodes of pain that affect many areas of the body including pain the joints, stomach, and the joints.
• Pain varies and may last from as little as a few hours to several weeks in length and intensity.
• Painful swelling of hands and feet
• Frequent infections
• Delayed growth in children

Sickle cell can affect both children and adults. Because it is a chronic disease, the treatment that is provided is only meant to take care of the pain and assist in eliminating the symptoms.