As the name suggests, the disease causes anemia, which is a decrease in the number of red blood cells. This can cause significant fatigue and stress on the heart, which has to pump this deficient blood to the rest of the body. In addition, the depletion of white blood cells leads to an increased risk of pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and serious blood infections. When the white blood cell count is chronically low, patients are at risk of invasive fungal infections which can lead to death. In addition, the decrease in the number of platelets increases the risk of bleeding due to the decreased ability of the blood to clot. Ultimately, mutations in the bone marrow can lead to leukemia.

Treatment for aplastic anemia depends on the severity of the disease, the age of the patient and whether the patient has other illnesses. You may want to explain that due to the potential complications of the disease, treatment is much more aggressive than taking iron or vitamin B12 supplements.

In fact, the treatment with the greatest chance of success is the transplantation of donor hematopoietic stem cells – a difficult treatment with serious side effects. And although transplantation can lead to prolonged survival, it also often fails. This approach, which requires a matched donor, is recommended for healthier patients and those under the age of 50. Another method of treatment is to suppress the attack of the immune system against the cells of the bone marrow. This requires a combination of drugs, which can also have significant side effects.