Serious Signs Anemic Individuals Often Exhibit

Leg Cramps

Patients affected by anemia tend to experience frequent leg cramps. The red blood cells in anemic individuals cannot carry and deliver sufficient quantities of oxygen to cells around the body. Various types of cells with differentiated functions are unable to do their jobs because they do not receive enough oxygen to produce cellular energy for their processes. In order for the muscles to contract and relax properly, several processes have to occur in tandem to produce a muscle movement.

The impulse from the brain that initiates a muscle movement must reach the nerves that connect to the muscle cells. The muscle cells then use cellular energy or ATP to carry out the full contraction and relaxation of the muscle fibers. When there are low levels of ATP in the muscular cells, they may have enough energy to induce a muscle contraction. However, the muscle cells in anemic individuals do not always have enough ATP to induce the opposite mechanism to relax the muscle. The muscle remains in the contracted position for longer than usual, resulting in an extremely uncomfortable or painful sensation in the area of the affected muscle. This malfunction is more likely to occur in the larger muscles around the body that are further away from the heart, which is why the cramps from anemia occur most often in the legs.

Keep reading to learn more about how to identify if one has anemia now.