Causes Of Aplastic Anemia

The human body performs numerous vital tasks every day. One of those tasks is making new blood cells from the stem cells found in bone marrow. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are all required for the body to function, and when your body stops producing a sufficient amount of these new blood cells, aplastic anemia is the result. Aplastic anemia has several main causes, including exposure to toxic chemicals, radiation, and chemotherapy, as well as viral infections, medications, and autoimmune disorders. This condition can be quite challenging to treat, so the sooner a cause is found and treatment is administered, the better chance there is for recovery.

Toxic Chemicals

Exposure to certain types of toxic chemicals, including those commonly used in insecticides and pesticides, can cause aplastic anemia. Additionally, exposure to benzene, a chemical contained in gasoline, has been known to cause aplastic anemia. Benzene has been used since the middle of the nineteenth century, but its ability to produce aplastic anemia was not recorded until 1897 when four fatal cases of it were noted in a Swedish factory. Avoiding these toxins might be able to improve the severity of aplastic anemia over time but, of course, the condition should be diagnosed and treated by a trained medical professional.