Understanding Anemia (Understanding Sickness & Health Series)

By Ed Uthman

Book Overview

Medicine for the lay reader, a book detailing causes and treatments of the various forms of anemia Each year thousands are told they suffer from anemia, but most have only a vague understanding of the condition. In fact, "anemia" is a generic term that includes myriad specific diseases, each of which has its own story regarding cause, manifestations, and treatments. Understanding Anemia gently builds upon elementary knowledge of biology to provide the general reader with a fairly sophisticated understanding of the various causes of anemia, of the methods used to make diagnoses, and of the principles of treatment. The book begins with a definition of anemia and a brief history of the scientific study of blood. It explains how the doctor makes the diagnosis and details the main types of anemia. Since the different conditions result from the failure of various organs, the reader will come away with a surprisingly broad understanding of human anatomy and physiology, encompassing the digestive, circulatory, and immune systems, nutrition, biochemistry, and heredity. Features: * Specific anemias: iron deficiency, vitamin deficiencies, hemolytic anemias, hereditary anemias, and others * Helpful appendices: a practical guide to the metric system, a brief review of general cell biology, a table of normal values in commonly ordered lab tests, a description of the bone marrow biopsy procedure, a list of pitfalls a doctor faces during the evaluation of the anemic patient, resources for further study (both in print and on the Internet) Ed Uthman is director of the medical laboratory at Polly Ryon Memorial Hospital in Richmond, Texas. He is an adjunct assistant professor of pathology at the University of Texas School of Medicine, Houston.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578060397
• ISBN13: 9781578060399
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Understanding Anemia

This is an excellent book on Anemia! I have had anemia for a period of time, and reading this book answered all the questions I had, and more. I am currently receiving I.V. iron fusions to bring up my hemoglobin and to help produce more, and healthier, red blood cells. I highly recommend this book written by a real professional in the medical community.

Excellent discussion/description of various types of anemia

Dr. Uthman presents the physiology of anemia (and its different types) in a straightforward manner. As he mentions in the book, it is written for someone with the equivalent of a high school level of biology. Dr. Uthman takes the reader step-by-step through the process - like a chef teaching someone a recipe. Starting from general discussion on anemia to how it is clinically diagnosed and even how blood tests are performed! Anyone who needs to know about anemia should read this book. The book can also be picked up and used as a reference. The Table of Contents describe quite clearly where to find specific topics.