What Are The Symptoms Of Sideroblastic Anemia?

Increased Fatigue

A common symptom in sideroblastic anemia patients is noticeably increased fatigue. Mild to moderate cases may only cause fatigue upon physical exertion, while more severe cases can present as fatigue even when the individual is at rest. In a healthy individual, nutrients are absorbed from the food they consume, and they are then used at the cellular level in processes that synthesize them into a form of usable energy for the cells called ATP. ATP is the main form of energy cells use to carry out their specialized functions that collectively come together and allow the organs and organ systems around the body to do their jobs.

Individuals with sideroblastic anemia have bone marrow that produces red blood cells that cannot successfully synthesize iron into hemoglobin. Hemoglobin deficiency in the blood is a condition that results in a deprivation of oxygen to cells around the body. Without enough oxygen, the cells cannot effectively carry out the process to synthesize nutrients into ATP. When the cells cannot produce enough ATP, the individual's body has to be selective and preserve the energy produced for cells that perform vital functions, rather than for those used during physical activity.