Feeling weak? Let's find out the real reasons why hemoglobin levels drop!

Are you tired all day long? Do you feel tired even after doing a little work? Does your face look pale when you look in the mirror? Or is it difficult to focus on one thing? We often think, “Shh, this is too much work.” But, could it really be for another reason? Yes, it could be. These symptoms may be a sign that your hemoglobin level is low. We doctors call this “anemia.” Don’t worry! Let’s talk today to understand exactly why this happens and what the causes are.

Okay, let's first see... what is hemoglobin?

Think of a delivery service running throughout our bodies. Hemoglobin is the best worker in that delivery service. It's inside our red blood cells. It's the one that picks up the oxygen packet from the lungs and delivers it to every other cell in the body, from the brain to the toenails. So, what happens when these delivery guys (hemoglobin) are low? The cells don't get enough oxygen. Without oxygen, the cells can't work or produce energy. That's why we feel tired and sluggish.

Why does this hemoglobin decrease? There are 3 main ways

Although there are hundreds of reasons, there are three main pathways that can lead to a decrease in hemoglobin in anyone. Let's go through these three pathways and see what happens.

1. 1. Decreased blood production in the body.
   2. Blood is destroyed faster than the heart.
   3. Bleeding from the body.

Now let's look at each of these tables, in a little more detail.

First thing: Decreased blood production within the body

Reason	Everything else is simple.
Iron Deficiency	This is the main reason in the world. Just like you need flour to make a cake, you need iron to make hemoglobin. If you don't have enough iron from what you eat, hemoglobin won't be produced.
Vitamin B12/folate deficiency	These two vitamins are essential for making good red blood cells. When they are not enough, the body makes large, ugly red blood cells that cannot function properly.
Chronic Diseases	Long-term illnesses such as kidney disease, cancer, and arthritis can cause the blood-making factory (bone marrow) to not function properly.
Bone marrow problems	The bone marrow is the main blood-making factory. Diseases like leukemia disrupt this factory, causing blood production to stop completely.
Thalassemia	This is a genetic disorder that is present at birth. What happens here is that there is an error in the blueprint (genes) that makes hemoglobin in the body, resulting in a poor quality of the hemoglobin that is made.

Second point: Blood is destroyed faster than the heart.

Reason	Everything else is simple.
Genetic Issues	In diseases like sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells are abnormally shaped. They are not round, but rather sickle-shaped. So they break, rupture, and are easily destroyed.
Disruption of the body's immune system	Sometimes our body's guards (the immune system) go crazy. Instead of attacking foreign invaders, they attack and destroy our own good red blood cells.
Other external things	Some medications, toxins, and infections like malaria can also damage red blood cells and increase the rate at which they die.

Third point: Bleeding from the body

Reason	Everything else is simple.
It's obvious that there is blood.	This can be caused by an accident, surgery, childbirth, or even heavy menstrual bleeding in some women.
Secret bleeding	This is the most dangerous. Stomach ulcers, hemorrhoids, colon cancer, and hookworm disease cause a little blood loss every day. We don't even see it. But little by little, the body runs out of iron, and hemoglobin decreases.

The risk is a little too high for these people!

Although we all experience these conditions, some people are more likely to develop anemia.

1. 1. • For women: due to monthly menstruation and pregnancy .
      • For young children: Because they need more iron during their rapid growth.
      • For the elderly: due to loss of appetite and illness .
      • For vegetarians: Because you need to be careful about iron and vitamin B12 from food.

Finally, I have to say...

Now you understand that a decrease in hemoglobin does not mean something else for the same reason. It's like the engine light on a car coming on. The light comes on to tell you that something is wrong, but the light is not the only problem. In the same way, anemia is a symptom. The important thing is to find out, "Why did this decrease happen?"

Remember this: If you have symptoms of anemia, please don't go to the pharmacy and ask for iron tablets without even seeing a doctor. That's like holding a bucket when there's a leak in the roof. You need to fix the leak, right? So, be sure to see a doctor to find the right cause and get the right treatment.