Blood Disorders: Types, Causes, And Treatment
Blood Disorders: Types, Causes, And Treatment
Blog Article
A blood disorder may occur if red or white blood cells, platelets, or blood clotting proteins stop functioning properly. All three types of blood cells form in the bone marrow, a soft tissue inside the bones. The role of red blood cells is to transport oxygen to the organs and tissues. White blood cells, on the other hand, help fight infections. Platelets help your blood to clot. Any blood disorder may lead to impairment of the formation and function of one or more types of blood cells.
Most of them decrease the number of cells, proteins, nutrients, platelets, etc., interfering with their function. Many factors may add up to the condition.
What are the Causes of Blood Disorders?
There is no single cause of blood disorder. It may depend on the type of the condition and other factors, including your health and overall lifestyle. Some people may inherit blood disorders. For others, it could happen because of the condition affecting their blood.
What are the Types of Red Blood Cells Disorders?
Red blood cell disorders result in anaemia, when the body cannot make enough red blood cells or the cells do not function correctly. Nowadays, this condition has become very common, affecting over 3 million people. Anaemia has different types:
- Iron deficiency anaemia – when the body doesn’t have enough iron or fails to absorb it.
- Pregnancy anaemia – occurs only in pregnant women, when there is more demand for red blood cells.
- Vitamin deficiency anaemia – caused by low dietary intake
- Haemolytic anaemia – it can be inherited or non-inherited and takes place when the red blood cells are broken or destroyed.
- Aplastic anaemia – when the bone marrow stops producing enough blood cells.
What is the Treatment of Red Blood Cell Disorders?
The doctor will perform a physical examination by reviewing history and carrying out blood tests before starting the treatment. Depending on the cause, they may choose from different options, including dietary changes, blood transfusions, surgery, and medications.
What are the Types of White Blood Cell Disorders?
White blood cell disorder begins in the bone marrow and develops into different types of cells, like neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, and eosinophil that perform functions like destroying bacteria, killing viruses, responding to the allergic reactions of the body, and more. Out of all the five, neutrophils and lymphocytes get impacted the most. Most white blood cell disorders are either cancerous or proliferative disorders.
- Lymphoma – a type of cancer that occurs when the lymphocytes change and start multiplying rapidly in the body.
- Leukaemia – a build-up of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow that interferes with the body’s ability to produce red blood cells and platelets. The condition is acute or chronic.
- Myelomas – a condition involving the build-up of plasma cells in the bone marrow, interfering with the development and function of other blood cells. The abnormal plasma cells start building up in a tumour in numerous locations in the bone or marrow.
What is the Treatment of White Blood Cell Disorders?
Blood cell cancers that do not cause symptoms may not require treatment aside from monitoring. Upon finding out the kind of cancer, the doctors will use different treatment approaches, either individual or combined, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, stem cell transplants, etc. Some cancers may involve the treatment of targeted drug therapy, where medication that helps increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs or destroy elements of the cancer cells is administered.
What are the Types of Platelet Cell Disorders?
Besides red or white blood cell disorders, blood disorders can also be platelet-related, including the following.
- Haemophilia – a genetic condition caused as a result of lack of or defective clotting factors in the blood. People with this condition bleed longer or more excessively than people without it. In most cases, it is a genetic condition, passed down from parents to children.
- Von Villebrand Disease – a condition occurring due to the lack of Von Villebrand factor. This substance is responsible for sticking the platelets together and forming clots.
What is the Treatment of Platelet Cell Disorders?
The doctor will review your individual and family medical history, run a physical exam and some blood tests to check the extent of the condition, and decide on the best treatment approach. The treatment involves replacement therapy, where the doctor offers a person infusion containing specific clotting factors they are lacking. They may include additional therapies like desmopressin, antifibrinolytic medications, and even birth control medications. Other treatment options include blood transfusions, corticosteroids, and surgery to remove the spleen in severe cases.
Takeaway
Blood disorders can affect the different components of the blood, including the white or red blood cells and plasma, and affect the quality of life. It is essential to be watchful of the symptoms and decide on the right treatment approach. Depending on the severity of the condition, they will decide on the best treatment. Report this page