How do you diagnose anaemia?

Answer 1

Anaemia will usually first be suspected by a doctor from the history the person gives and the symptoms they are experiencing. There are many different types of anaemia, each with different causes. The main causes however are iron deficiency or excessive blood loss. The doctor may therefore ask about the persons diet (to determine if there is possible iron deficiency in the diet) or menstrual cycle in women (to determine if there is excessive bleeding).

The doctor will also look for signs and symptoms such as pale skin, tiredness/weakness, dizziness and headaches.

If anaemia is suspected from the symptoms and history, then a blood test will usually be done to confirm it. Testing the red cell count and haemoglobin levels will help determine the severity and the cause of anaemia and looking at the characteristics of the red cells such as the size, colour and shape can help to determine the cause.