Question: What is (are) Hemolytic Anemia ?
Answer: Hemolytic anemia (HEE-moh-lit-ick uh-NEE-me-uh) is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is over. Red blood cells are disc-shaped and look like doughnuts without holes in the center. These cells carry oxygen to your body. They also remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body. Red blood cells are made in the bone marrowa sponge-like tissue inside the bones. They live for about 120 days in the bloodstream and then die. White blood cells and platelets (PLATE-lets) also are made in the bone marrow. White blood cells help fight infections. Platelets stick together to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding. When blood cells die, the body's bone marrow makes more blood cells to replace them. However, in hemolytic anemia, the bone marrow can't make red blood cells fast enough to meet the body's needs. Hemolytic anemia can lead to many health problems, such as fatigue (tiredness), pain, irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), an enlarged heart, and heart failure. Overview Hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which the blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Anemia also can occur if your red blood cells don't contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, or high rates of red blood cell destruction. Hemolytic anemia is caused by high rates of red blood cell destruction. Many diseases, conditions, and factors can cause the body to destroy its red blood cells. These causes can be inherited or acquired. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene(s) for the condition on to you. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. Sometimes the cause of hemolytic anemia isn't known. Outlook There are many types of hemolytic anemia. Treatment and outlook depend on what type you have and how severe it is. The condition can develop suddenly or slowly. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Hemolytic anemia often can be successfully treated or controlled. Mild hemolytic anemia may need no treatment at all. Severe hemolytic anemia requires prompt and proper treatment, or it may be fatal. Inherited forms of hemolytic anemia are lifelong conditions that may require ongoing treatment. Acquired forms of hemolytic anemia may go away if the cause of the condition is found and corrected.
Source: NHLBI

Question: What causes Hemolytic Anemia ?
Answer: The immediate cause of hemolytic anemia is the early destruction of red blood cells. This means that red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is over. Many diseases, conditions, and factors can cause the body to destroy its red blood cells. These causes can be inherited or acquired. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the condition on to you. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. Sometimes, the cause of hemolytic anemia isn't known. For more information about the specific causes of hemolytic anemia, go to "Types of Hemolytic Anemia." Inherited Hemolytic Anemias In inherited hemolytic anemias, the genes that control how red blood cells are made are faulty. You can get a faulty red blood cell gene from one or both of your parents. Different types of faulty genes cause different types of inherited hemolytic anemia. However, in each type, the body makes abnormal red blood cells. The problem with the red blood cells may involve the hemoglobin, cell membrane, or enzymes that maintain healthy red blood cells. The abnormal cells may be fragile and break down while moving through the bloodstream. If this happens, an organ called the spleen may remove the cell debris from the bloodstream. Acquired Hemolytic Anemias In acquired hemolytic anemias, the body makes normal red blood cells. However, a disease, condition, or other factor destroys the cells. Examples of conditions that can destroy the red blood cells include: Immune disorders Infections Reactions to medicines or blood transfusions Hypersplenism (HI-per-SPLEEN-izm; an enlarged spleen)
Source: NHLBI

Question: What are the symptoms of Hemolytic Anemia ?
Answer: The signs and symptoms of hemolytic anemia will depend on the type and severity of the disease. People who have mild hemolytic anemia often have no signs or symptoms. More severe hemolytic anemia may cause many signs and symptoms, and they may be serious. Many of the signs and symptoms of hemolytic anemia apply to all types of anemia. Signs and Symptoms of Anemia The most common symptom of all types of anemia is fatigue (tiredness). Fatigue occurs because your body doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its various parts. A low red blood cell count also can cause shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, coldness in your hands and feet, pale skin, and chest pain. A lack of red blood cells also means that your heart has to work harder to move oxygen-rich blood through your body. This can lead to arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), a heart murmur, an enlarged heart, or even heart failure. Signs and Symptoms of Hemolytic Anemia Jaundice Jaundice refers to a yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes. When red blood cells die, they release hemoglobin into the bloodstream. The hemoglobin is broken down into a compound called bilirubin, which gives the skin and eyes a yellowish color. Bilirubin also causes urine to be dark yellow or brown. Pain in the Upper Abdomen Gallstones or an enlarged spleen may cause pain in the upper abdomen. High levels of bilirubin and cholesterol (from the breakdown of red blood cells) can form into stones in the gallbladder. These stones can be painful. The spleen is an organ in the abdomen that helps fight infection and filters out old or damaged blood cells. In hemolytic anemia, the spleen may be enlarged, which can be painful. Leg Ulcers and Pain In people who have sickle cell anemia, the sickle-shaped cells can clog small blood vessels and block blood flow. This can cause leg sores and pain throughout the body. A Severe Reaction to a Blood Transfusion You may develop hemolytic anemia due to a blood transfusion. This can happen if the transfused blood is a different blood type than your blood. Signs and symptoms of a severe reaction to a transfusion include fever, chills, low blood pressure, and shock. (Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs if the body isn't getting enough blood flow.)
Source: NHLBI

Question: What are the treatments for Hemolytic Anemia ?
Answer: Treatments for hemolytic anemia include blood transfusions, medicines, plasmapheresis (PLAZ-meh-feh-RE-sis), surgery, blood and marrow stem cell transplants, and lifestyle changes. People who have mild hemolytic anemia may not need treatment, as long as the condition doesn't worsen. People who have severe hemolytic anemia usually need ongoing treatment. Severe hemolytic anemia can be fatal if it's not properly treated. Goals of Treatment The goals of treating hemolytic anemia include: Reducing or stopping the destruction of red blood cells Increasing the red blood cell count to an acceptable level Treating the underlying cause of the condition Treatment will depend on the type, cause, and severity of the hemolytic anemia you have. Your doctor also will consider your age, overall health, and medical history. If you have an inherited form of hemolytic anemia, it's a lifelong condition that may require ongoing treatment. If you have an acquired form of hemolytic anemia, it may go away if its cause can be found and corrected. Blood Transfusions Blood transfusions are used to treat severe or life-threatening hemolytic anemia. A blood transfusion is a common procedure in which blood is given to you through an intravenous (IV) line in one of your blood vessels. Transfusions require careful matching of donated blood with the recipient's blood. For more information, go to the Health Topics Blood Transfusion article. Medicines Medicines can improve some types of hemolytic anemia, especially autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). Corticosteroid medicines, such as prednisone, can stop your immune system from, or limit its ability to, make antibodies (proteins) against red blood cells. If you don't respond to corticosteroids, your doctor may prescribe other medicines to suppress your immune system. Examples include the medicines rituximab and cyclosporine. If you have severe sickle cell anemia, your doctor may recommend a medicine called hydroxyurea. This medicine prompts your body to make fetal hemoglobin. Fetal hemoglobin is the type of hemoglobin that newborns have. In people who have sickle cell anemia, fetal hemoglobin helps prevent red blood cells from sickling and improves anemia. Plasmapheresis Plasmapheresis is a procedure that removes antibodies from the blood. For this procedure, blood is taken from your body using a needle inserted into a vein. The plasma, which contains the antibodies, is separated from the rest of the blood. Then, plasma from a donor and the rest of the blood is put back in your body. This treatment may help if other treatments for immune hemolytic anemia don't work. Surgery Some people who have hemolytic anemia may need surgery to remove their spleens. The spleen is an organ in the abdomen. A healthy spleen helps fight infection and filters out old or damaged blood cells. An enlarged or diseased spleen may remove more red blood cells than normal, causing anemia. Removing the spleen can stop or reduce high rates of red blood cell destruction. Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant In some types of hemolytic anemia, such as thalassemias, the bone marrow doesn't make enough healthy red blood cells. The red blood cells it does make may be destroyed before their normal lifespan is over. Blood and marrow stem cell transplants may be used to treat these types of hemolytic anemia. A blood and marrow stem cell transplant replaces damaged stem cells with healthy ones from another person (a donor). During the transplant, which is like a blood transfusion, you get donated stem cells through a tube placed in a vein. Once the stem cells are in your body, they travel to your bone marrow and begin making new blood cells. For more information, go to the Health Topics Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant article. Lifestyle Changes If you have AIHA with cold-reactive antibodies, try to avoid cold temperatures. This can help prevent the breakdown of red blood cells. It's very important to protect your fingers, toes, and ears from the cold. To protect yourself, you can: Wear gloves or mittens when taking food out of the refrigerator or freezer. Wear a hat, scarf, and a coat with snug cuffs during cold weather. Turn down air conditioning or dress warmly while in air-conditioned spaces. Warm up the car before driving in cold weather. People born with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency can avoid substances that may trigger anemia. For example, avoid fava beans, naphthalene (a substance found in some moth balls), and certain medicines (as your doctor advises).
Source: NHLBI

Question: How to prevent Hemolytic Anemia ?
Answer: You can't prevent inherited types of hemolytic anemia. One exception is glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. If you're born with G6PD deficiency, you can avoid substances that may trigger the condition. For example, avoid fava beans, naphthalene (a substance found in some moth balls), and certain medicines (as your doctor advises). Some types of acquired hemolytic anemia can be prevented. For example, reactions to blood transfusions, which can cause hemolytic anemia, can be prevented. This requires careful matching of blood types between the blood donor and the recipient. Prompt and proper prenatal care can help you avoid the problems of Rh incompatibility. This condition can occur during pregnancy if a woman has Rh-negative blood and her baby has Rh-positive blood. "Rh-negative" and "Rh-positive" refer to whether your blood has Rh factor. Rh factor is a protein on red blood cells. Rh incompatibility can lead to hemolytic anemia in a fetus or newborn.
Source: NHLBI