Aplastic anemia Aplastic anemia: (ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia is a condition that happens when red blood cell count is low. Most… is a rare disease in which the bone marrow bone marrow: The soft, spongy tissue inside most bones. Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow. stops producing enough blood cells. Any blood cells the marrow does make are completely normal, but there are simply not enough of them to serve the body's needs. With prompt and proper care, most patients can be successfully treated.
Aplastic anemia can be moderate, severe or very severe. People with severe or very severe aplastic anemia are at risk for life-threatening infections or bleeding. With prompt and proper care, most people who have aplastic anemia can be successfully treated. The only cure for aplastic anemia is a bone marrow transplant bone marrow transplant: A bone marrow transplant (BMT) is also called a stem cell transplant (SCT) or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).The procedure replaces unhealthy blood-forming stem cells with healthy ones and offers some patients the possibility of a cure. But for many patients, a BMT is not an option due… .
Aplastic anemia can strike at any age regardless of race or gender. However, it is diagnosed more often in children, young adults and older adults. It also appears more often in Asian-Americans. Each year, between 600 and 900 people in the U.S. learn that they have aplastic anemia.
What is happening to my blood with Aplastic Anemia?
Blood consists of blood cells floating in plasma plasma: The fluid part of the blood. Plasma is mostly made of water with chemicals in it. These chemicals include proteins, hormones, minerals, and vitamins. . Plasma is mostly made of water. It also includes salts, proteins, hormones, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients and chemicals your body needs.
What are the 3 Basic Types of Blood Cells?
- Red blood cells (RBCs) are also called erythrocytes. They make up almost half of blood. Red blood cells are filled with the protein hemoglobin hemoglobin: A protein in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin picks up oxygen in the lungs and brings it to cells in all parts of the body. that picks up oxygen in the lungs and brings it to cells all around the body.
- White blood cells (WBCs) are also called leukocytes. They fight disease and infection by attacking and killing germs that get into the body. There are several kinds of white blood cells, each of which fights a different kind of germ.
- Platelets are also called thrombocytes. They are small pieces of cells that help blood clot blood clot: A mass of blood that forms when platelets stick together. Harmful blood clots are more likely to happen in PNH. The term thrombus describes a blood clot that develops and attaches to a blood vessel. The term embolus describes a blood clot or other foreign matter that gets into the bloodstream and… and stop bleeding.
How are Blood Cells Formed?
The process of making blood cells is called hematopoiesis hematopoiesis: (hi-mat-uh-poy-EE-suss) The process of making blood cells in the bone marrow. . Blood cells are made in the bone marrow, a spongy tissue located inside certain bones. Marrow contains blood-forming stem cells stem cells: Cells in the body that develop into other cells. There are two main sources of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos and are used in medical research. Adult stem cells in the body repair and maintain the organ or tissue in which they are found. Blood-forming (hemapoietic) stem… that make copies of themselves to create all three types of blood cells. When blood cells are fully mature and functional, they leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. Healthy people have enough stem cells to make all the blood cells they need.
What is Bone Marrow Failure?
Bone marrow failure Bone marrow failure: A condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough healthy blood cells. The most common of these rare diseases are aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Bone marrow failure can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be… happens when the marrow doesn't produce enough red cells, white cells or platelets, or the blood cells that are produced are damaged or defective. This means the body can not supply itself with the blood it needs. Aplastic anemia, MDS and PNH are bone marrow failure diseases.
What happens when I have Aplastic Anemia?
Aplastic anemia is caused by the destruction of blood-forming stem cells in bone marrow. These stem cells normally develop into three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The symptoms of aplastic anemia vary depending on how severe it is and how low blood counts are. Some typical symptoms include:
- Feeling tired and out of breath after only a little exercise
- The tendency to bruise and bleed easily
- Bleeding that won’t stop
- Infections and an associated fever