Anemia, a low blood count
Dr. Jesse P. Houghton is a board-certified gastroenterologist. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has been practicing in Southern Ohio since 2012. He has been in practice for over 13 years. He treats both gastrointestinal as well as liver diseases. He prides himself in carefully listening to his patients and their... more
Did you know….?®
Anemia is the term for a low ‘blood count’ or low hemoglobin. The normal range for adults is roughly 12-16 g/dL (men tend to have a slightly higher average hemoglobin than women). So, anyone with hemoglobin less than 12 can be said to be anemic. The range of anemia can be quite large. I have seen patients with hemoglobin less than 3! (while up and walking around)! As a Gastroenterologist, I often get consulted for patients with anemia, since losing blood through the GI tract is one way a person can become anemic. A common misconception, is that ALL patients with anemia must be losing blood somewhere. This is NOT always the case. Two other very common forms of anemia are: 1) Anemia as a result of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and 2) Anemia as a result of a chronic medical condition (diabetes, COPD, CHF). Those are topics for another discussion.
Anemia caused by blood loss from the GI tract, results in Iron Deficiency Anemia. When you lose blood (hemoglobin), you also lose iron. The causes of this are many, but common causes include acid reflux induced esophagitis, an ulcer in the stomach or small intestine, small blood vessels in the lining of the GI tract called AVM’s or angiodysplasia, and cancer (especially in combination with unexplained weight loss). We often need to perform an upper endoscopy as well as a colonoscopy, to look for these possible causes of anemia. What to look for to see if you may be losing blood from your GI tract? Blood in your stool or black stool (called melena). If you see this, you should let your doctor or medical provider know right away. Fortunately, most causes of GI blood loss are readily treatable.
Be well!
