Anemia occurs when the blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells, or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the main part of red blood cells and is what helps bind oxygen to the blood. If your blood cells or hemoglobin are not normal, your body's cells will not receive as much oxygen as they should. There are also different types of anemia, such as sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia only affects African Americans. Iron deficiency is another name for anemia. Anemia affects every single organ in the human body, because our body needs sufficient blood and oxygen and anemia prevents this. If our body organs don't get enough oxygen, we start to stress them and they become fatigued. If you don't get treatment for anemia, you will have secondary organ dysfunction, such as heart failure. The average percentage of people aged 1 to 50 who suffer from anemia is 9%, and these are only women and children. . The number of people in nursing homes suffering from anemia is 18% and the number of people in assisted living facilities suffering from it is 9%. Anemia can be fatal if it is not treated properly or diagnosed early enough; the amount of deaths each year is around 5,000 people. Anemia is a medical condition that develops when the symptoms of anemia depend on the type of anemia diagnosed. The human body has the ability to compensate for anemia and it goes unnoticed and untreated for a long time. The types of conditions that can result from anemia if left untreated are bleeding, ulcers, menstrual problems, or cancer. Symptoms common to all types of anemia are fatigue and drowsiness, rapid heartbeat, loss of breath, headache, dizziness, cramps, and I… middle of paper… treatment of sickle cell anemia. Researchers and scientists have been studying ways to understand what can cause anemia and lately research has shown that a low amount of vitamin D in the human body causes anemia. Researchers also just discovered that people with heart problems and depression can slow the distribution of red blood cells. You can treat some types of anemia with home remedies or simply by keeping fit. If you watch your diet and take care of yourself, you can prevent it. Works Cited “Signs and Symptoms of Anemia.” MD Web. Web MD LLC. Network. 21 November 2013. “Anemia” UMM. Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD. Network. November 21, 2013. “About Anemia” Kids Health. Robin Miller, MD. Network. November 21, 2013. “What is anemia” NHLBI. NHLBI staff. Network. November 21, 2013. “Treatments for Anemia” Mayo Clinic. MC staff. Network. November 21 2013.