Megaloblastic Anemia Information - symptoms, picture, causes

Megaloblastic Anemia is defined as a decrease in the circulating RBC mass and a corresponding decrease in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. The development of megaloblastic anemia is usually insidious; therefore, patients are often relatively asymptomatic because they have had time to adjust to the marked fall in hemoglobin (Hgb) levels. This malformation causes the bone marrow to produce fewer cells, and sometimes the cells die earlier than the 120-day life expectancy. People with megaloblastic anemia may suffer from atrophic gastritis due to loss of the intrinsic factor normally present in the gastric juice.

The symptoms of megaloblastic anemia may resemble other blood conditions or medical problems. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis. A hallmark of megaloblastic anemia is ineffective erythropoiesis, as evidenced by erythroid hyperplasia in the bone marrow, a decreased peripheral reticulocyte count, and an elevation in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and indirect bilirubin levels.

Megaloblastic Anemia symptoms

Here are the list of symptoms of Megaloblastic Anemia:

• Dizziness
  headache,
• syncope,
• tinnitus
• vertigo
• irritability

Megaloblastic Anemia Treatment

Megaloblastic (pernicious) anemia is usually discovered during a medical examination through a routine blood test. Because megaloblastic anemias usually develop gradually, most patients have adjusted to low Hgb levels and do not require transfusions. If the megaloblastic anemia is thought to be caused from a problem in the digestive tract, a barium study of the digestive system may be performed. If the disorder is caused by an absorption problem in the digestive tract, this may need to be treated first.