Aside from the risks that are associated with the changes in blood vessels and blood flow, anemias can cause damage to the retina and optic nerve due to a lack of oxygen.
If the retina does not receive enough oxygen, the blood vessels behind the eye can become damaged, causing vision problems. Iron deficiency anemia can also lead to central vein occlusion, retinal artery occlusion, or optic neuropathy. In extremely rare cases, it can also possibly lead to vision loss.
Ocular manifestations of anemia include conjunctival pallor, retinal hemorrhages, cotton wool spots, Roth spots, subhyaloid hemorrhage, venous dilatation, disc edema, and anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION). Retinal arterial occlusion is a very rare complication of iron deficiency anemia.
Along with systemic features of anemia per se, and in relation to the primary etiology leading to the anemia, ocular findings can be classified as features common to all anemias or specific features due to specific etiologies. Rarely, loss of vision can be a presenting complaint, because most cases are asymptomatic.
Anemic retinopathy is usually asymptomatic with findings ranging from retinal hemorrhage, cotton wool spots, venous tortuosity, and occasionally white-centered hemorrhages called Roth spots.
A doctor can quickly get an idea of whether someone is anemic by pulling down the person's eyelid and judging its redness, a color indicating the number of red blood cells. But even a doctor's eye isn't precise enough to give a diagnosis without getting a blood sample from the patient.
Vision problems, such as blurred or distorted vision, can occur when there is not enough vitamin B12 in the diet.
People who do not get enough iron or certain vitamins and people who take certain medicines or treatments are also at a higher risk. Anemia may also be a sign of a more serious condition, such as bleeding in your stomach, inflammation from an infection, kidney disease, cancer, or autoimmune diseases.
Two cases of ischemic optic neuropathy, one of which was bilateral, have been described in the context of isolated anemia without hypotension [8,12]. Moreover, reduced oxygen delivery to the optic nerve in the context of anemia has been shown in animal models [13].
People with sickle cell anemia usually have no ocular symptoms; however, when the disease affects the eyes, patients may have decreased vision, flashes and floaters.
Severe bleedings may cause a sudden and complete loss of vision, while mild ones cause blurred vision or the appearance of floaters. Eye injuries, surgical interventions and vascular disorders are its most common causes.
Chronic anemia can also put you at risk for other oral health issues, such as gum disease or tooth decay. If you notice any changes in the appearance of your tongue, gums, or surrounding tissue, let your dentist know immediately. These types of changes could indicate systemic problems or serious illness.
But too much iron – or problems with utilizing, storing, or transporting iron properly – can lead to vision loss in the form of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and hyperferritinemia syndrome, according to recent research findings.
One of the best ways to manage anemia-related fatigue is to try and get sufficient sleep. However, you will want to avoid sleeping too much because that will add to fatigue. Instead, aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Naps are fine but limit yourself to one short 20- to 30-minute nap a day.
Fluctuating vision may be a sign of diabetes or hypertension (high blood pressure), which are chronic conditions that can damage the blood vessels in the retina. Any damage to the retina can cause permanent vision loss, and so a patient with fluctuating vision should seek immediate medial attention.
Fatigue. Tiring easily, and waking up tired even after a good night's sleep, are common and potentially serious symptoms of anemia. This is due to reduced and compromised red blood cells that naturally cannot carry the required levels of oxygen to the organs – which, in turn, cannot function efficiently.
Focusing your eyes on something for extended periods can strain them. Too much screen time from using smartphones or computers, reading without sufficient light, and driving in poor visibility conditions can all cause eye strain, which may eventually lead to sudden blurred vision.
Blurry vision can result from a problem with how your ocular system focuses light into the back of your eye. Focusing problems are classified as refractive errors. This includes common conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Blurred vision is the primary symptom of these errors.
Blurred vision can be caused by eye conditions, including: difficulty focusing your eyesight, such as with near-sightedness or far-sightedness. astigmatism (when the surface of the eye isn't curved properly) presbyopia (when your eyes find it harder to focus as you age)
Anemia can lead to a rapid or irregular heartbeat, called arrhythmia. With anemia, the heart must pump more blood to make up for too little oxygen in the blood. This can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure. Death.
As anemia worsens, your body can experience visible physical changes — your skin could become pale, your nails brittle and cuts may take longer to stop bleeding. Other symptoms associated with anemia include: Shortness of breath. Irritability.
Heart and lung problems
Adults with severe anaemia may be at risk of developing complications that affect their heart or lungs. For example, you may develop tachycardia, which is an abnormally fast heartbeat, or heart failure, where the heart fails to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.