Signs and Symptoms

Question 1

What are the general signs of anaemia?

Answer 1

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Pale or yellowish skin
• Irregular heartbeat - palpitations
• SOB
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Chest pain
• Cold hands and feet
• Headache
• Bruising

Question 2

What are the signs of acute blood loss?

Answer 2

Shock

• Pale and clammy
• Tachycardia
• Hypotension
• Level of consciousness

Question 3

What are the symptoms and signs of iron deficiency anaemia?

Answer 3

• Tiredness and lethargy
• Headache, especially with activity
• Sore or smooth tongue
• Brittle hair or hair loss
• Spoon-shaped nails (koilonychia)
• Dyspnoea

Question 4

What are the signs/symptoms of B12 deficiency?

Answer 4

• Insidious onset
• Mild jaundice and anaemia
• Glossitis (inflammation of the tongue)
• Angular cheilitis (inflammation of corners of mouth)
• Neuropathy - peripheral neuropathy, sub-acute degeneration of the cord (SADC), optic neuropathy, dementia

Question 5

What are the signs/symptoms of folate deficiency?

Answer 5

• Similar to B12 but more often sensory peripheral neuropathy only
• Deficiency in pre-conception is associated with increased incidence of neural tube defects in babies