Can Stress Cause Anemia?

Stress is known to negatively impact the circulatory system, sometimes in very severe ways. What’s not so well-known about by the general public, is the link between stress and anemia, and whether there is any link at all or not.

Quite a lot of people, who experience chronic stress, and later develop anemia, end up asking the question: can stress cause anemia? After all, anemia is a cardiovascular issue, and stress is known to negatively impact this system.

Given the fact that anemia is a health condition with very serious implications if left untreated, it is perfectly justified for people suffering from chronic stress to worry about the possibility of developing anemia as a result of their stress.

In this article, we’ll be examining what exactly anemia is, the most usual causes behind anemia, and whether or not anemia may be caused by chronic stress. We will also look at other ways in which stress can affect your cardiovascular health.

Anemia: A Closer Look

Anemia is a serious health condition, one that occurs when your body fails to produce enough red blood cells to meet its needs. Red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients to wherever it’s needed in the body, and a low number of these cells means decreased supply of those things to your organs, which can be very dangerous.

A lack of sufficient oxygen being supplied to the organs can lead to symptoms such as heart palpitations, developing a pale skin complexion, headaches and general fatigue sensations, among others.

Organ damage may also result from lack of sufficient oxygen supply to the organs, as a result of anemia.

Anemia also causes the immune system’s function to be less effective, putting the organism in a more vulnerable position when it comes to defending itself against infections, bacteriological or otherwise.

Anemia may also result in organ damage that leads to chronic health conditions, such as lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease and others.

Left untreated, anemia can become fatal, due to the body being deprived of a proper supply of oxygen, and vital tissue beginning to die as a result.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance to treat anemia as quickly as possible, as well as treating the underlying conditions causing it.

Most Usual Causes For Anemia

The two most common causes behind chronic anemia are deficiencies of the B12 vitamin, and iron. When the organism is deficient in one or both of these two, anemia has a quick onset.

These deficiencies can occur either due to poor diet, or due to other medical conditions, which cause the body to have a diminished ability to absorb iron and vitamin B12.

Vitamin B9 deficiency can also be responsible for the onset of anemia. Vitamin B9 works together with vitamin B12 in your body, in the process of producing red blood cells.

In the absence of, or with insufficient, vitamin B9, the body struggles to maintain an adequate level of red blood cell production in the bone marrow.

Loss of sufficient blood volume, through bleeding (internal or external), or other causes, can also lead to anemia, as the less blood there is in the body, the less red blood cells are also present in it.

Some different types of cancers may also cause anemia to occur, due to the reduced red blood cell count.

Alcohol abuse, especially in its chronic form, alcoholism, can lead to anemia through liver and stomach damage, with these two organs becoming unable to properly process the nutrients gained through eating, and as such, not being able to supply the body with the necessary stuff to create red blood cells.

There are many more possible causes for anemia, but for the purposes of this article, I’ve outlined only the most common ones.

Let’s now move on to answer the main question of this article.

Can Stress Cause Anemia?

Stress has been linked with anemia, and the reverse is also true: anemia has been linked to stress. Some researchers argue that stress is the cause for anemia, while others argue that anemia is the cause for stress.

Both interpretations are, according to research, partially correct.

Anemia is known to cause stress, due to the health and quality of life complications resulting from it. Stress is also known to cause anemia, because it impedes your body’s ability to absorb nutrients properly, which in turn may lead to deficiencies, some of which may lead to anemia.

Stress-induced anemia then becomes a vicious, self-reinforcing cycle of both problems reoccurring because of each other, a kind of chicken and egg situation, where one cannot be absolutely certain which problem was the initial problem that sparked the other one, and the only certainty being that now both problems exacerbate one another.

Let me explain by using the following scenario: Johnny suffers from chronic stress due to his highly demanding job. As a result of the stress, he develops an iron deficiency, which leads him to develop anemia.

The anemia and its associated symptoms cause Johnny to become worried, very much so, about his health. This stresses Johnny out further, which only makes the problem with his deficiency worse, and the cycle continues.

Anemia can already be deadly no matter the cause behind it, but in cases of anemia caused by chronic stress, the danger gets that much higher, due to the self-reinforcing set of problems building each other up, leading to potentially fatal consequences in a possibly faster way than anemia in the absence of stress would.

Interestingly enough, stress can also cause an increase in red blood cells present in the bloodstream, but at the same time, other effects of stress can lower that count below levels considered safe. This can sometimes lead to alternating between dangerously high red blood cell count, and dangerously low red blood cell count (otherwise known as anemia).

Thrombocytopenia, or low platelet cell count, is a health condition that can have serious consequences on overall health, and may even lead to fatality, if left unaddressed.

There are numerous possible causes behind this condition, some more common than others. The question, however, remains: can stress cause low platelets? Stress is known to affect cardiovascular health and influence the count of various blood cells.

Additionally, stress is also one of the leading causes behind people taking up smoking or vaping, and the nicotine also negatively impacts the cardiovascular health.

In this section of the article, we will go over what platelets are, what a low platelet count does to the body, what can cause a low platelet count, and find out whether or not stress can cause this dangerous condition.

What Are Platelets?

Thrombocytes, more commonly known and referred to as platelets, are specialized blood cells with a very important function. Platelets are responsible for the process of blood clotting, which means they help the body heal wounds and stop bleeding.

Normal counts of platelets in the blood range from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. 

The reason behind thrombocytes being also known under the name of platelets is due to their appearance, as platelets have the appearance of tiny, colorless plates when examined under a microscope.

Platelets are one of the three types of blood cells, with red blood cells and white blood cells being the additional two types.

The way that platelets form clots is a multi-step process.

First, the platelets rush to the location in the body where the bleeding is currently happening. These platelets attach themselves to the tissue around the wound in a process known as adhesion, after which they send out a chemical signal, calling for additional help.

Next, more platelets show up, thanks to the chemical signal for help sent out by the first few platelets to arrive on the site of the injury. These platelets begin attaching themselves to the other platelets already there, in a process known under the name of aggregation.

The third step is coagulation, and it happens when more and more platelets gather to seal up the wound in what is known as a coagulation cascade. Then, fibrin, which is a structural protein, joins the platelets and kind of knits the clot together, in a sense.

Fibrin is what the scabs that form over a cut are made of.

What Low Platelet Count Does

Due to their function, the importance of platelets cannot be underestimated, as they are the thing that prevents us from bleeding out from something as simple as a paper cut.

Having a low platelet count, essentially, makes it harder or outright impossible for the body to heal its open wounds and stop bleeding. This can have severe consequences.

Symptoms of a low platelet count include:

• Nosebleeds

• Wounds that do not heal

• Persisting bleeding from wounds

• Gum bleeding

• An easier time getting bruises

• A series of bright red rashes on different areas of the skin

• Blood in the urine or feces

 

Known Causes For Low Platelet Count

 

There are many possible causes behind a low platelet count in the blood. Platelets are produced in the bone marrow, and as such, anything that negatively impacts bone marrow cell health could lead to a decrease in platelet production and numbers.

Of course, health conditions which do not affect the bone marrow may also be responsible for a low platelet count, by affecting the platelets themselves.

Some examples of possible causes for low platelet count include:

• Radiation therapy - Radiation therapy, the kind used to treat cancer, has been known to suppress or outright kill the platelet producing cells present in the bone marrow, which leads to a decrease in platelet cell count present in the blood.

• Chemotherapy - Similar to radiation therapy in its effect on bone marrow platelet-producing cells, chemotherapy can also cause a lower platelet count.

• Autoimmune diseases - Autoimmune health conditions such as lupus and immune thrombocytopenic purpura can reduce the number of platelet cells by directing the immune system against them.

• Some viral infections - Certain viral infections, for example HIV or Hepatitis C, can attack the bone marrow and hinder production of platelet cells by the cells in the bone marrow responsible for their production.

• Medication - Anticoagulant medication such as warfarin and heparin works by stopping or drastically lowering the production of platelets in the bone marrow.

Can Stress Cause Low Platelets?

Research has shown that stress does not cause a decrease in platelet count in the blood, regardless of the level of stress and its duration (chronic versus short-duration).

Stress does, however, increase the production of platelets in the blood marrow, as a result of the fight or flight mode it triggers and the stress hormones being released due to it.

Since the body is expecting to face a dangerous situation, it begins creating more platelets, in order to be ready for a potentially great number of injuries. This leads to an excess of platelets in the blood, outside normal ranges.

Having a too high platelet count can be quite dangerous for your health.

Thrombocytosis is a disorder in which the body produces too many platelet cells, and this disorder can be caused directly by stress and its effects.

This disorder leads to a significantly increased risk of blood clots in the blood vessels, such as in the arteries, which risk blocking the arteries and may lead to extremely dangerous situations.

Typically, having a high platelet count on its own does not give any symptoms. Symptoms that result from a high platelet count typically appear due to a blood clot that was caused by the high number of platelets.

These symptoms may include, depending on the location of the blood clot, chest pains, a burning sensation in the hands or feet, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, confusion and changes in speech.

Any of these symptoms, especially the confusion, changes in speech, shortness of breath and chest pains, should be taken very seriously, and immediate medical assistance should be sought out, as these can be signs of a stroke or similar serious medical emergencies.

High Red Blood Cell Count: What It Means 

Red blood cells are one of the three major components of your blood, the other two being white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to wherever it’s needed in the body, effectively working in supplying your body with oxygen.

When the count of red blood cells is abnormally high, it can mean that there are one or more underlying health conditions causing it, something which should be investigated to rule out serious health problems, or confirm and treat them.

A red blood cell count over 6.1 million cells/microliter of blood for men, 5.4 million cells/microliter for women and 5.5 million cells/microliter for children is generally considered a high red blood cell count, outside normal boundaries.

Erythrocytosis is the formal, medical name used for the condition of having a high red blood cell count. This condition causes the blood to have a thicker consistency that it is supposed to have, and as such raises the risk of blood clots significantly.

Thus, having a high red blood cell count is a dangerous, even potentially fatal, health condition, which should be taken seriously, with treatment administered for the underlying cause.

Other symptoms of a high red blood cell count may include general fatigue, blurry vision, sleep disorders such as insomnia, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, headaches/migraines, itchy skin, and more.

 

Things Other Than Stress That May Cause High Red Blood Cell Count

 

There’s a large number of possible causes of having a high red blood cell count. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on just a handful of examples, in order to give you an idea of some things other than stress that can lead to this condition.

1. Cardiac problems, such as congenital heart disease, or heart failure, which can lead to low blood oxygen levels, meaning your body creates more red blood cells to cope with the diminished oxygen supply.
2. Some cancers, such as polycythemia vera, which is a rare form of blood cancer that causes the organism to over-produce red blood cells.
3. Lung diseases, such as COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, which causes the lungs’ ability to acquire oxygen to falter, leading to lower blood oxygen levels, which in turn prompts the body to produce more red blood cells.
4. Hypoxia, which is simply having low blood oxygen levels. Causes of hypoxia vary greatly.
5. Carbon monoxide exposure can lead to decreased blood oxygen levels. This typically happens to cigarette smokers, but may also happen in other cases of carbon monoxide exposure.
6. Cigarette smoking has been linked with an increase in red blood cell count. This is due to a combination of carbon monoxide exposure, as well as exposure to the various other chemicals present in tobacco products meant for smoking, which make the organs not receive enough oxygen and nutrients due to an impacted circulatory system, prompting the body to create more red blood cells in the bone marrow, in an attempt to circumvent this issue.
7. Living at high altitudes, for example in a mountainous region, can lead to higher than normal levels of red blood cells. This is due to the fact that, at high altitudes, oxygen is more scarce than at lower altitudes, which means there is less oxygen inhaled per breath. This is the reason that mountain climbers are often seen using breathing gear. When living in the mountains, the body adjust its production of red blood cells in an attempt to make up for the decreased volume of oxygen available to it.

 

Can Stress Cause High Red Blood Cell Count?

 

Research shows that, yes, stress can and does often lead to having a high red blood cell count.

Emotional stress results in the release of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, into your system. The effects of prolonged stress hormones’ presence in your system leads to a number of cardiovascular issues, which includes an increase in red blood cells.

The presence of these hormones encourages the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells, which will, over time, lead to abnormally high red blood cell counts in the body.

The reason for this is that the body requires more oxygen to cope with the stress levels, and in turn, signals are automatically sent that trigger the production of additional red blood cells for this purpose.

It is worth reiterating that having a high red blood cell count can be, and often is, dangerous. 

As a result, stress can outright kill, through either an increase in red blood cell count, some other stress side effects, or a combination of more or all of these factors.

Stress And Stroke



One of the most lethal consequences that unaddressed stress may lead to is a stroke, whether ischemic or hemorrhagic. Both types of stroke are roughly equally as deadly, and stress may lead to both.

An ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by something like an artery leading to the brain being blocked, for example by plaque buildup combined with the narrowing of blood vessels, both of which can be directly caused by stress, or more specifically, by the stress hormones released as a result of stress, for example cortisol and adrenaline.

A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel ruptures in the brain, causing the brain to become flooded with blood, which in turn increases the pressure that’s put on the brain. The rupture of the blood vessel may come as a result of narrowed blood vessels and plaque buildup on the walls of arteries.

In both of these cases, brain cells begin to rapidly die, in the case of an ischemic stroke due to the lack of nutrient and oxygen supply reaching the brain tissue, and in the case of hemorrhagic stroke due to the same lack of oxygen and nutrient supply in combination with the increased pressure on the brain.

Both types of stroke mentioned are considered an extreme medical emergency, and unless treatment is very quickly administered by health professionals, it can lead to death.

Conclusion

Can stress cause anemia? Not directly, but its side-effects certainly do increase the risk of developing anemia, and can exacerbate the problem to deadly levels.

It is therefore important to manage stress levels as much as possible, in order to avoid a problem from spiralling out of control, and into the danger zone.

I wish you the best of health, and a calm and relaxed day.