Overview
Vitamin deficiency anemia is a condition in which your body doesn’t produce enough healthy red blood cells. It happens primarily when you have low levels of vitamin B12 or B9 (folate or folic acid).
Instead of producing healthy red blood cells, your body may produce irregularly large red blood cells. These cells can’t carry oxygen throughout your body the way they should. Because the red blood cells are abnormally large, another name for vitamin deficiency anemia is macrocytic or megaloblastic anemia.
How do vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency cause anemia?
Both vitamins are crucial in many processes in your body, including making red blood cells. Without enough B12 or folic acid, your body doesn’t make normal red blood cells and those cells die more quickly than normal cells so they can’t carry oxygen to all of your body tissues. This lack of normal red blood cells is anemia.
Who is more likely to get vitamin deficiency anemia?
You may develop vitamin deficiency anemia if you don’t consume enough foods with vitamins B12 or folate. Or you may have a condition that makes it hard for your body to process these nutrients, such as:
- Biliary atresia.
- Celiac disease.
- Crohn’s disease.
- Cystic fibrosis.
- Pernicious anemia, when your body is missing intrinsic factor, which is necessary to absorb B12 from foods.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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