The blood is made up of a number of cell types, each with their own distinct appearance and function within the body. Blood cells develop from a population of stem cells within the bone marrow. These cells divide and mature to give rise to developed functional blood cells that circulate throughout the body. Defects in blood cells, leading to cellular dysfunction, can cause a number of disorders and symptoms.
Anemia
A common disorder associated with blood cell deficiency is anemia, which occurs due to red blood cell dysfunction. Under normal conditions, red blood cells contain hemoglobin, an iron-containing molecule that helps carry oxygen through the blood. Red blood cells allow for oxygenation of tissues throughout the body to support cell metabolism and functioning. If red blood cells become dysfunctional and can no longer bind oxygen, the blood cannot effectively oxygenate tissue, and the patient suffers from anemia.
Patients with anemia suffer from a number of symptoms including headaches, dizziness, mood changes, breathlessness, increased heart rate and impaired wound healing reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. The treatment for anemia involves treating the cause of the disorder, and may include blood transfusions to supply functional red blood cells or bone marrow transplants to facilitate new red blood cell development in the body.
Neutropenia
Another condition associated with blood cell deficiency is neutropenia, a condition caused by low numbers of white blood cells. White blood cells make up a part of the immune system to help detect and destroy infectious materials within the body. Deficiencies in white blood cells depress the immune system in the body, leaving a patient with neutropenia vulnerable to infection and disease. Patients with neutropenia suffer from persistent, prolonged or frequent infections. Neutropenia treatment may include antibiotics to ward off infection coupled with targeted therapies that help stimulate white blood cell formation.
Thrombocytopenia
Another condition caused by blood cell defiecy is thrombocytopenia, a deficiency of thrombocytes or platelets. Platelets are small cells that respond to blood vessel injury and form cellular aggregates. The aggregate helps seal off the wound and form a clot as an initial step in wound healing. Platelet deficiencies can lead to bleeding disorders, since low levels of platelets diminish the capacity for clot formation after injury. Patients with thrombocytopenia suffer from abnormal bruising and bleeding, and the treatment for the disease may involve platelet transfusion. Thrombocytopenia can develop due to defects in platelet formation or from an increase in the rate of platelet breakdown in the body reports the University of Maryland Medical Center.
