Glossary term Heart & Blood

Anaemia

In one sentence

Anaemia means too little haemoglobin or too few red cells to carry oxygen comfortably — a finding, never a final diagnosis.

Anaemia means too little haemoglobin or too few red cells to carry oxygen comfortably — a finding, never a final diagnosis.

Why it matters

Anaemia always has a cause: iron or vitamin deficiency, chronic disease, blood loss that may be silent. Treating the number without finding the cause can hide something important, including gastrointestinal bleeding.

When to seek advice

Fatigue with pallor, breathlessness on mild effort, or an incidental low result all justify proper work-up — ferritin, B12, kidney function — before any supplement.

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Definitions explain terms; they do not interpret your individual results or replace a consultation.

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