With blood disorders, any of three main blood components could be affected. These are:

RBC or red blood cells carrying oxygen to the tissues of the body

WBC or white blood cells that fight infections

Platelets that help clotting of blood

Blood disorders can also harm the plasma – the liquid portion in our blood. The treatment plus prognosis vary based on the disease, resulting blood condition and how severe it is.

Blood disorders that affect RBC include:

Some of the blood disorders that affect the RBC maybe anemia, as people are found having lower count of blood cells. Mild anemia mostly comes without symptoms, while the severe ones could bring in pale skin, fatigue, and shortness of breath.

Anemia due to iron deficiency – To produce red blood cells, iron is necessary. With low iron intake and losing blood because of menstruation are mainly the causes of this anemic condition. It could be the result of blood loss from our GI tract owing to cancer or ulcers.

Chronic disease anemia – Those suffering from chronic kidney disorders tend to develop anemia. This condition does not typically ask for treatment. Blood transfusion is required with some people suffering from this condition.

Pernicious anemia – Arises due to B12 deficiency. It is a condition where the body is unable to absorb enough of B12 in the diet. This could be because of a stomach lining that is weak or due to autoimmune condition. Apart from anemia, there could be neuropathy or nerve damage. High doses of B12 could prevent problems in long term.

Aplastic anemia – People with aplastic anemia condition, the bone marrow produces less or incomplete blood cells, including red blood cells. This could be caused by a host of conditions, like hepatitis, HIV – to drug side effect, owing to chemotherapy medications, because of pregnancy medications; individual had blood transfusion or bone marrow transplant. All these and more could lead to aplastic anemia.

Anemia of autoimmune haemolytic condition, where the overreactive immune system damages the RBC of the body, with medicines that suppress the immune system could be needed to stop this process.

Blood Disorders that Affect the White Blood Cells:

Those blood disorders that affect the WBC may be –

Lymphoma – A type of blood cancer that grows in the lymph system. In lymphoma, a WBC gets malignant, spreading and multiplying at an abnormal rate. Hydgkin’s lymphoma and also non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma remain to be the two major groups with lymphoma. Treatment through chemotherapy plus radiation can most of the time extend lymphoba’s life or at times cure it.

Leukemia – A type of blood cancer where blood cancer gets malignant and multiplies within the bone marrow. This condition could be rapid and then severe or slowly progressing. Stem cell transplantation or bone marrow transplant could be used in its cure.

Multiple myeloma – This is a type of cancer where the plasma or white blood cell becomes malignant. These plasma cells multiply thereby releasing damaging substances that ultimately result in damage of organ. This condition comes with no cure, however, chemotherapy or stem cell transplant can allow living with the condition for years.

Myelodysplastic syndrome – This comes within a family of blood cancers where the bone marrow is affected. This condition often progresses slowly, however, may all of a sudden change into severe leukemia. Physicians may suggest stem cell transplant, chemotherapy, and blood transfusion.

Blood disorders that affect the platelets:

Blood disorders affecting the platelets would include:

Thrombocytopenia: Where the platelets count in the blood is low. There are several conditions that cause thrombocytopenia, however, most of them do not end up in abnormal bleeding.

There are other thrombocytopenic conditions where the platelets count in the blood goes persistently low. The cause behind the condition is unknown, and most of the time there are no symptoms, yet you could see red spots surfacing on the skin, abnormal bruising, and high amount of bleeding.

Suresh Hospital’s Treatment

The Cancer, Tumor, and Blood ../department at Suresh Hospital has many veteran physicians and experienced as well as highly skilled staffs who take utmost care in diagnosing, testing the patients in their labs and then follow-up treatments that suits best depending on the condition and severity of the individual’s medical condition.