Anemia is a condition that affects millions of people and can cause a variety of symptoms, including body aches and pains. In the opening paragraphs, we’ll take a quick look at what anemia is, what causes it, who is at risk, and how it can make your body hurt.
What is anemia?
Anemia occurs when you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which is a protein that gives blood its red color and helps carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body.
When you have anemia, your blood doesn’t carry enough oxygen to your tissues and organs. This lack of oxygen can make you feel tired, weak, dizzy, cold, sluggish, and experience a rapid heartbeat.
What causes anemia?
There are many different causes of anemia, including:
- Iron deficiency – This is the most common cause of anemia and occurs when you don’t get enough iron from your diet or can’t absorb enough iron from foods you eat.
- Vitamin deficiency – Not getting enough folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12 and vitamin C can lead to anemia.
- Chronic diseases – Some conditions like kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and autoimmune disorders can interfere with red blood cell production.
- Genetic conditions – Inherited disorders like sickle cell anemia and thalassemia affect hemoglobin production.
- Excessive bleeding – Losing blood from heavy periods, ulcers, hemorrhoids, cancer or frequent blood donations reduces iron levels.
- Pregnancy – The demands of pregnancy can lead to anemia.
- Bone marrow disorders – Problems with bone marrow function can disrupt blood cell production.
Who is at risk for anemia?
While anyone can develop anemia, certain groups have a higher risk including:
- Women – Due to blood loss from menstruation.
- Pregnant women – Higher iron needs during pregnancy.
- Young children and teens – Their bodies are still growing.
- People with poor diets – Those lacking iron, folate and vitamin B12.
- Elderly people – Due to poorer nutrient absorption.
- Those with chronic diseases – Such as cancer, kidney failure and autoimmune disorders.
- Frequent blood donors.
- Vegans and vegetarians – Due to lower iron intake from plant-based diets.
- Endurance athletes – Extreme training can destroy red blood cells.
How can anemia cause body aches?
When you have anemia, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen to all of your cells. This oxygen deprivation can lead to generalized body aches and pains in several ways:
- Fatigue and weakness – Anemia can make you feel constantly tired and weak. This extreme fatigue puts extra strain on your muscles and joints, leading to achiness.
- Reduced circulation – Low oxygen levels can cause blood vessels to constrict. Poor circulation prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching muscles and tissues, causing soreness.
- Muscle cramps – Lack of iron and other nutrients causes painful muscle cramping and spasms.
- Headaches – Oxygen deprivation gives headaches from internal pressure and tension.
- Chest pain – Your stressed heart has to pump harder, which can cause chest tightness.
- Bone pain – The bone marrow has to work overtime to make more red blood cells, causing bone and joint discomfort.
Additionally, the constant fatigue of anemia can make even minor aches feel more pronounced. Everyday activities require more effort which strains the body.
Anemia can target different areas of pain
While anemia causes overall body aches, you may also feel specific pain related to:
- Hands and feet – Numb, tingling hands and feet are common with anemia. This results from reduced circulation to the extremities.
- Legs – You may have throbbing pain in your lower legs. Anemia starves the large leg muscles of oxygen.
- Back – Low oxygen to the spinal discs and muscles causes upper and lower back soreness.
- Hips – The hip joint depends on good blood flow. Anemia can make hips feel achy, especially when walking.
- Shoulders – Arm pain and shoulder tightness frequently occur with anemia.
- Ribs – Some patients report tenderness and soreness in the rib area on one or both sides.
When to see a doctor
Contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms of anemia:
- Fatigue, weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Chest pain
- Irregular heart beats
- Headaches
- Pale skin
- Leg cramps
- Cold hands and feet
Unexplained body aches that don’t get better with rest should also prompt a doctor’s visit. A simple blood test can determine if you have anemia. It’s important to get treated early before symptoms worsen.
Anemia treatment
Treatment for anemia depends on the underlying cause:
- Iron supplements – Needed to treat iron deficiency anemia. You may also need to eat more iron-rich foods.
- Vitamin supplements – Vitamin B12, folate or vitamin C supplements can help nutritional deficiency anemias.
- Medications – Drugs that treat chronic diseases may also improve anemia.
- Blood transfusions – Used in severe cases to boost red blood cell levels quickly.
- Surgery – Procedures like endometrial ablation can reduce heavy bleeding from menstrual periods.
- Bone marrow transplant – May help some genetic causes or bone marrow failure.
With treatment, anemia symptoms like body aches and fatigue should start to improve within a few weeks as your red blood cell levels return to normal.
Preventing anemia
You can take these steps to prevent developing anemia:
- Eat iron-rich foods like meat, seafood, beans, spinach, nuts and dried fruit.
- Have foods high in folic acid like legumes, citrus fruits and dark green vegetables.
- Get enough vitamin B12 from milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs and enriched cereals.
- Improve iron absorption by having vitamin C foods like tomatoes, broccoli and potatoes.
- Treat underlying medical conditions like heavy periods or kidney problems.
- Avoid overusing pain relievers which can irritate the stomach.
- Have routine physical exams to catch issues early.
Pay attention to any unusual aches and pains and see your doctor if they persist. Prompt anemia treatment can stop body discomfort and prevent complications.
When to see a doctor
Contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms of anemia:
- Fatigue, weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Chest pain
- Irregular heart beats
- Headaches
- Pale skin
- Leg cramps
- Cold hands and feet
Unexplained body aches that don’t get better with rest should also prompt a doctor’s visit. A simple blood test can determine if you have anemia. It’s important to get treated early before symptoms worsen.
Key Points
- Anemia occurs when the body has a low red blood cell count and can’t deliver enough oxygen to tissues and muscles.
- Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia.
- Symptoms like fatigue, body aches, headaches, dizziness and weakness occur with anemia.
- Treatment such as iron supplements, medications or lifestyle changes can usually resolve anemia.
- Preventing anemia involves eating a balanced diet with sufficient iron, vitamins and minerals.
The Bottom Line
Anemia disrupts your body’s oxygen supply, which can leave your whole body feeling sore and achy. See your doctor promptly if you have unexplained tiredness or pain that doesn’t go away. Treating the underlying cause of anemia will get your red blood cell counts back to normal levels and have you feeling like yourself again.
| Type of Anemia | Cause | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Iron deficiency anemia | Lack of iron | Fatigue, pale skin, brittle nails |
| Vitamin deficiency anemia | Lack of B12, folate or vitamin C | Weakness, sore tongue, bruising |
| Aplastic anemia | Bone marrow doesn’t make enough red blood cells | Dizziness, chest pains, infections |
| Anemia of chronic disease | Ongoing illness like cancer or kidney failure | Pale skin, weight loss, fever |
| Hemolytic anemia | Red blood cells destroyed prematurely | Jaundice, dark urine, spleen enlargement |
This table summarizes different types of anemia, their causes, and associated symptoms.
