If you notice that you have less energy during everyday activities and feel more tired than usual, you might have anemia. The general symptoms of anemia are:

• Fatigue (or lack of energy)
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Loss of sex drive
• Inability to concentrate
• Shortness of breath

Treatment

Treatment varies and depends on the severity and cause of the anemia. A doctor must investigate anemia due to blood loss occuring from an injury or from internal hemorrhaging, and the bleeding stopped. Severe anemia requiring immediate correction can be treated with blood transfusions. A transfusion usually results in a rapid increase in red blood cells, however if the cause of the anemia is not corrected, the increase in red blood cell count is short-lived and additional transfusions are required as the red blood cell count decreases again. Transfusions may cause allergic reactions, fever, chills, infections and headaches.

Your physician should investigate anemia caused by a number of inherited diseases.

Nutritional anemias caused by a deficiency of iron, vitamin B₁₂ or folic acid can be brought under control with dietary supplements.