I chose to do my discussion on Pernicious Anemia, I have heard of it,
but never really knew what the disorder entailed.
Concept and Etiology: Pernicious anemia is also known as
vitamin B12 deficiency and megaloblastic anemia. It affects the
cardiovascular and hematopoietic body systems in particular
because, without enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to
your body, you may feel tired and weak. Severe or long-lasting
pernicious anemia can damage the heart, brain, and other
organs in the body. With a decrease in the hemoglobin content
of the blood the output of the heart is increased. It deviates
from the definition of health discussed in Module One because
according to WHO, health is "a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease and infirmity." Pernicious anemia strays away from the
definition of health because pernicious anemia is more of a
medical condition in which there is a lack of vitamin B12
(cyanocobalamin) deficiency. Pernicious anemia is also known
as an autoimmune condition in which the body's immune
system attacks the actual intrinsic factor protein.
Classification: Pernicious anemia is a complex disorder, which
consists of hematological, gastric, and immunological
alterations. Anemia can be classified from three points of view:
pathogenesis, red cell morphology, and clinical presentation. All
are important to diagnosing a person.
Clinical Manifestations (Symptoms and Signs): The most
common symptom of all types of anemia is fatigue (tiredness).
Fatigue occurs because your body doesn’t have enough red
blood cells to carry oxygen to its various parts. Other
symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, headache,
coldness in your hands and feet, pale or yellowish skin, chest
pain, depression, loss of balance, irritability, trouble
concentrating, delusions, hallucinations, memory loss, and
dementia. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency involve
the digestive tract. These symptoms include nausea (feeling sick
to your stomach) and vomiting, heartburn, abdominal bloating
and gas, constipation or diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight
loss. An enlarged liver is another symptom. A sign of pernicious
anemia is a smooth, thick, red tongue, bleeding gums, Infants
who have vitamin B12 deficiency may have poor reflexes or
unusual movements, such as face tremors. They may have
trouble feeding due to tongue and throat problems. People who
are deficient in iron may experience an intense urge to eat
strange things like ice, clay, dirt, or starch. This behavior is
called pica.
Diagnostic Tests: There are many different ways that pernicious
anemia can be determined and diagnosed. They include serum
vitamin B12 levels, Schilling's test (measures vitamin B12
absorption), complete blood count (CBC), gastric analysis, and
bone marrow biopsy (needle biopsy).
References
Davis, C. P. (2021, October 7). Anemia: Common causes, symptoms,
types, and treatment. On Health. Retrieved November 4, 2021,
from https://www.onhealth.com/content/1/anemia_causes_treatme
nts#:~:text=Symptoms%20and%20Signs%201%20dizziness%2C
%202%20weakness%2C%203,feet%2C%206%20numbness%2C
%20and%207%20low%20body%20temperature.
Story, L. (2018). Diseases of the Red Blood Cells: Pernicious Anemia.
In Pathophysiology: A practical approach (pp. 59–62). essay, Jones &
Bartlett Learning.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Pernicious
anemia. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Retrieved
November 4, 2021,
from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/pernicious-
anemia#:~:text=Without%20enough%20red%20blood%20cells
%20to%20carry%20oxygen,%28such%20as%20memory%20loss
%29%2C%20and%20digestive%20tract%20problems.
