How is vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia diagnosed and treated?
Many types of anemia exist, each with its own cause—the cause may be an iron or vitamin deficiency, blood loss, a chronic illness, or a genetic or acquired defect or disease. It may also be a side effect of a medication, so it’s important that you work with your health care provider to confirm that you have anemia, what type of anemia it is, how severe it is, and how to properly treat it. Doctors diagnose vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia through blood tests that measure the level and appearance of red blood cells. In vitamin deficiency anemia, you’ll not only have fewer red blood cells, but the red blood cells that you do have will be large and underdeveloped. In advanced deficiencies, white blood cells and platelets also look abnormal under a microscope. Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia can often be successfully treated with supplements. However, in many cases, the anemia will reoccur if vitamin B-12 supplementation is stopped. Anemia is a condition that can have serious consequences if l
