why can’t people with anemia (not enough iron in blood) get blood transfers from donors who have hemochromatosis (too much iron in blood)?
In: Biology
Because anemia is not only ‘not enough iron’, it is a category of conditions that prevent you from getting oxygen where you need it. Oxygen is transported by blood, which requires hemoglobin which involves iron, but there are other types of anemia than just ones that deal with hemoglobin. For example, megaloblastic anemia is where your cells are abnormally large due to a deficiency in B12 or Folic Acid, while Non-Megaloblastic anemia are those that involve impaired DNA synthesis of one or more important substances in the body. If the body is not making what it needs, sometimes it’s not enough to just put good stuff in and hope for the best. Bone marrow transplants are sometimes the treatment of choice for serious Anemia because it aims to fix the root of the problem, because bone marrow is a major source for all cells. Blood transfusion is a temporary solution that doesn’t always work.
TL;DR: Anemia is not as simple as ‘low iron: Put more iron in’, there are a myriad of other factors involved. You can put iron in, but the actual problem that caused the issue needs to be resolved.
Source: Medical Lab Technologist/Biology B.S.
Latest Answers