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Aplastic Anemia is a rare disease which causes the body to fail to produce enough blood cells. Aplastic is used to refer to the abnormal functioning of the bone marrow while anemia refers to shortage of blood cells in the body. The disease reacts by attacking the bone marrow which is responsible for the production stem cells which in turn produce blood cells and other stem cells in the body. These include the red blood cells which the body uses to transport oxygen to body organs; white blood cells which are responsible for protecting the body from infections; and platelets which aid in blood clotting thus prevent excessive bleeding. While the body needs to make new blood cells everyday as older ones are destroyed, an infected bone marrow fails to provide adequately for this demand leading to weakness of the body and inability to fight diseases and infections. The occurrence of Aplastic Anemia may take months or weeks before it becomes evident although in other circumstances it could be sudden. Failure of treatment could lead to detrimental effects hence the reason why it should not be ignored.

The causes of Aplastic Anemia are hard to determine although doctors in most cases cite that the disease could be as a result of inherited disorders in 20 percent of the patients. High exposure to radiation, toxic materials such as chemicals and viruses may also cause Aplastic Anemia. This disease can be said to be an auto-immune disease because it attacks the bone marrow and disables stem cells so that the are unable to produce enough blood as required by the body. Once the immune system starts attacking the bone marrow leading to less supply of blood cells, the best solution is the use of immunosuppresants to slow down the system.

People with severe cases of Aplastic Anemia are exposed to high risk of infections due to the limited white blood cells required to keep infections at bay. A person suffering from Aplastic Anemia is likely to feel fatigued owing to the limited circulation of oxygen into the body. Most patients report feeling weak, falling short of breath, having constant headaches, easy bruising and irregular heartbeat. Nausea and constant fainting are also signs that one could be suffering from the disease. Due to the low levels of platelets in the body, patients may suffer severe bleeding whenever they get hurt. Platelets serve the purpose of enhancing clotting of blood so that bleeding is stopped. Shortage would therefore automatically reduce the body’s ability to stop bleeding normally.