Myelodysplastic syndrome affects the bone marrow's ability to produce healthy blood cells. This can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, frequent infections, and easy bruising or bleeding due to low red blood cells (anemia), low white blood cells (neutropenia), and low platelets (thrombocytopenia). Over time, MDS may progress to more severe conditions, including acute myeloid leukemia, which requires more aggressive treatment.