Hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein, binds to oxygen, delivering it throughout the body.
With microcytic anemia, smaller red blood cells carry less oxygen, which leads to low energy and fatigue.
Microcytic anemia may develop due to insufficient dietary iron, blood loss, or other medical problems.
Verywell / Michela Buttignol
It is often found during routine blood work.
Iron supplements may help to treat it, but identifying and managing the underlying cause is crucial.
This article explains the symptoms and causes of microcytic anemia and how it is treated and monitored.
It often does not have any signs during the early stages.
People with underlying medical conditions may have more severe anemia.
More severe anemia tends to cause more severe symptoms.
Iron and hemoglobin are red.
When red blood cells are pale, it often means they do not have enough iron.
This can indicate a normal amount of iron and hemoglobin.
As a result, red blood cells are darker, shaped like spheres, and break down faster.
Microcytic anemia is diagnosed with blood tests.Sometimes, additional specific blood tests are used to determine the cause.
Mycrocytic anemia is sometimes detected during examinations and testing for other conditions or during a routine physical.
Additional diagnostic tests are sometimes needed.
Blood tests include:
Other Diagnostic Tests
Sometimes microcytic anemia is sparked by bleeding or chronic disease.
Your doctor may order additional diagnostic tests to identify the cause of your anemia.
What Are the Treatments for Microcytic Anemia?
There are many different treatments for microcytic anemia.
Some treatments help deal with the symptoms, and others help your body produce normal red blood cells.
Ablood transfusionmay be necessary to alleviate the effects of severe anemia.
For chronic conditions, repeat blood transfusions may be needed.
Other treatments are focused on alleviating the cause of the anemia.
Examples of treatments include:
Outlook for Microcytic Anemia
Microcytic anemia can improve with treatment.
It may take weeks or months for you to feel better and for your blood tests to show improvement.
Depending on the cause, you may need to continue long-term treatment to prevent microcytic anemia from recurring.
And if you have thalassemia, you would need a long-term treatment regimen.
Living with microcytic anemia can be challenging.
The fatigue and low energy of anemia can make it difficult to complete your daily tasks.
It can also make exercise more difficult and lead to weight gain.
Summary
Microcytic anemia describes a condition in which the red blood cells are small.
Microcytic anemia causes nonspecific symptoms.
The diagnosis relies on blood tests.
Assessment of the cause is critical because the cause guides treatment.
National Library of Medicine.RBC indices.
