How is anemia treated?

Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
Updated on June 18, 2025
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Patients with severe anemia require red blood cell transfusion as supportive treatment. If the degree of anemia is not severe, blood transfusion is not necessary. All anemic patients should undergo relevant examinations to determine the cause of the anemia, which can then inform the treatment plan to address the underlying cause. For instance, patients with nutritional anemia need to receive treatment that supplements the materials necessary for blood formation; in cases of anemia caused by malignant hematologic diseases such as leukemia or myeloma, chemotherapy is required to treat the primary disease; for patients with acute hemorrhagic anemia, it is necessary to identify and correct the cause of the blood loss.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Anemia lacks what element

Anemia is not always caused by a deficiency in elements. In cases of iron deficiency anemia, it is due to a lack of iron. Megaloblastic anemia occurs because of a deficiency in folate or vitamin B12. However, clinically, there are many other types of anemia, such as aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, leukemia, etc. The anemia caused by these diseases is not due to a deficiency in elements, but is due to the diseases themselves affecting bone marrow hematopoiesis, leading to anemia. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly diagnose the cause of anemia in order to treat it effectively.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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How to check for anemia?

Anemia requires an initial routine blood test, which is a complete blood count. If it indicates a reduction in red blood cell count and a significant decrease in hemoglobin, it suggests anemia. Once anemia is indicated by the complete blood count, further tests are guided by the size of the red blood cell volume. If it is microcytic anemia, common types include iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic disease, and tests such as serum iron, ferritin, and tumor markers are needed. If it is normocytic anemia, a bone marrow biopsy is required to rule out aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, etc. If it is macrocytic anemia, tests for folate and vitamin B12 are needed to exclude myelodysplastic syndrome and megaloblastic anemia, among others.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Can anemia cause tinnitus?

Anemia can lead to tinnitus. The occurrence of tinnitus due to anemia often indicates that the anemia is severe. At this time, transfusion of red blood cells as supportive treatment, and correcting the anemia afterwards, will make the tinnitus disappear. The reason anemia causes tinnitus is that it leads to a state of ischemia and hypoxia in various organs of the body. In the auditory system, this is manifested as tinnitus; in the nervous system, it is also manifested as dizziness, headache, a feeling of heaviness in the head, and even cerebral infarction; in the cardiovascular system, it is manifested as palpitations and panic.

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Written by Li Guo Bao
Hematology
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Which department is for anemia?

There are many causes of anemia, and anemia is just one clinical manifestation of many diseases. Which department to visit for anemia should be determined based on the clinical symptoms of the patient. For example, if an anemic patient has symptoms of the digestive tract such as black stools, nausea, vomiting, or even vomiting blood, it is advised to visit the department of gastroenterology. If a female patient also has an increased amount of menstrual flow, prolonged periods, or other irregular menstrual conditions, it is advised to visit the department of gynecology. If a patient has unexplained fever, anemia, and petechiae on the body, it is recommended to visit the department of hematology.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
49sec home-news-image

How is anemia treated?

Patients with severe anemia require red blood cell transfusion as supportive treatment. If the degree of anemia is not severe, blood transfusion is not necessary. All anemic patients should undergo relevant examinations to determine the cause of the anemia, which can then inform the treatment plan to address the underlying cause. For instance, patients with nutritional anemia need to receive treatment that supplements the materials necessary for blood formation; in cases of anemia caused by malignant hematologic diseases such as leukemia or myeloma, chemotherapy is required to treat the primary disease; for patients with acute hemorrhagic anemia, it is necessary to identify and correct the cause of the blood loss.