Anaemia is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues. The symptoms of anaemia can make your body feel tired and weak. They also include fatigue, weakness, pale or yellowish skin, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, headaches, cold hands and feet. There are many forms of anaemia, each with its own cause and can be temporary or long-term ranging from mild to severe forms.
According to the World Health Organization, Men with haemoglobin less than 13 g/dL and women with haemoglobin less than 12 g/dL were determined as having haemoglobin deficiency or anaemia. The data reveals that every second Indian woman is anaemic and one in every five maternal death is directly linked to anaemia.
Oral Manifestations
IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA :
Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition in which the body lacks enough red blood cells to transport oxygen-rich blood to body tissues. Iron is an essential mineral to form heamoglobin, an oxygen-carrying protein inside the red blood cells. The symptoms including atrophic glossitis, angular chelitis, burning sensation, recurrent apthous ulcer.
MEGALOBLASTIC ANAEMIA: Megaloblastic anaemias are a subgroup of macrocytic anaemias, in which distinctive morphologic abnormalities occur in red cell precursors in bone marrow, namely megaloblastic erythropoiesis. Of the many causes of megaloblastic anaemia, the most common are disorders resulting from cobalamin or folate deficiency [vitB12]. Oral signs and symptoms – including candidiasis, diffuse erythematous mucositis, glossitis, angular cheilitis, recurrent oral ulcers, and pale oral mucosa.
APLASTIC ANAEMIA: A serious hematologic disease characterized by hypocellular bone marrow and pancytopenia. It may lead to the severe life-threatening syndrome in which production of erythrocytes, WBC and platelets has failed. Patients with aplastic anaemia present with herpetic ulcerations, gingival hyperplasia [gum swelling], petechiae[tiny red spots], spontaneous bleeding gums.
SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA: Sickle cell disease is a common inherited autosomal disease that contains abnormal haemoglobin that causes the cells to have a sickle shape that doesn’t move easily through the blood vessels- they are stiff and sticky and tend to form clumps which get stucks in blood vessels. Oral manifestations including hypoplasia of teeth[underdeveloped teeth], radiolucencies in the jaw- osteomyelitis [swelling, infections of bone or bone marrow], hypercementosis, delayed eruption.
The Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Yenepoya Dental College under the Yenepoya (Deemed to be University ) established in the year 1992, with its robust alumni of 3000 Undergraduates and 67 Postgraduates students and research scholars have many accolades and achievements to its credit. It strives to provide state of art Oral diagnostics and Molecular Pathology while excelling in research activities and instilling a holistic approach in dental education among students. Department contributes its expertise in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and providing exemplary education and scientific research.
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