Anemia is a condition that causes a decrease in the number of red blood cells. Red blood cells are the primary carrier of oxygen inside the body. The hemoglobin in these cells bind with oxygen and get transported to various body parts through the blood. In anemia, the decrease in the count of these cells causes fatigue and several other diseases, some of which can be life-threatening. There are several types of anemia which can be caused due to different reasons. It is more common in women than in men and can affect individuals belonging to any age group. Anemia can be a serious issue for pregnant women and thus, needs to be treated immediately.

1. Iron deficiency anemia
This is one of the most common types of anemia which mainly affects women. It is caused due to a deficiency of iron in the diet. Iron is primarily required by the bone marrow to produce normal levels of hemoglobin and RBCs. With reduced iron levels in the body, the bone marrow fails to maintain the normal levels of hemoglobin and thus, causes anemia. It is also caused due to heavy blood flow during menstruation, ulcers, and intake of medications like aspirin.

2. Vitamin deficiency anemia
Vitamins, especially vitamin B 12, is required for maintaining healthy blood levels of RBCs. Vitamin B 12 is an important constituent of the body and any deficiency can cause another common type of anemia known as pernicious anemia. In most cases, this deficiency is not synthesized inside the body and needs to be supplemented through a healthy diet.

3. Anemia caused due to a disease in the bone marrow
The bone marrow is primarily responsible for the production of RBCs. Any kind of disease can cause the bone marrow to not function properly, and thus, could result in decreased blood production, thereby causing anemia. Diseases like leukemia as well as myelofibrosis can result in this particular type of anemia.

4. Anemia caused due to other diseases
Chronic or prolonged inflammatory diseases can result in anemia. Anemia can result from other underlying diseases like HIV or AIDS, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and diseases causing kidney malfunction.

5. Hemolytic anemia
Among the various types of anemia, hemolytic anemia is caused when the RBCs are destroyed at a faster rate than can be replaced or produced by the bone marrow. This can occur due to a history of life-threatening diseases like cancer.

6. Sickle cell anemia
This was first reported in Africa, where people were reported to suffer from anemia due to certain mutations. This is more of a genetic disease in which the RBCs take the shape of a sickle or sigmoid or crescent and thus, fail to carry a sufficient amount of oxygen. Among the other types of anemia, sickle cell anemia can be life-threatening and thus needs to be given extreme importance.

7. Aplastic anemia
This is also a life-threatening type of anemia in which the body fails to produce the required amount of RBCs. It can result from a number of diseases like a prior history of any kind of infection or autoimmune diseases. Apart from that, aplastic anemia can be caused due to exposure to toxic chemicals.

Apart from the above reasons, anemia can also be caused due to thalassemia or malaria or some other reasons. The affected individual must give proper attention to their regular diet.