Anemia and Alcohol: Can Alcohol Cause Anemia?

It is widely known that numeroushealth problems已经与饮酒有关,包括爬山吗e stemming from an allergy oralcohol intolerance. But, can alcohol cause anemia?

Article at a Glance

• Drinking too much alcohol can lead to anemia.
• Anemia is a reduction in the function or number of red blood cells.
• Alcohol-induced anemia can often be reversed by abstaining from alcohol consumption.

Does Alcohol Cause Anemia?

Anemia is a condition where the body does not make enough red blood cells or does not make properly functioning red blood cells. These cells are needed to carry and deliver oxygen throughout the body. The body constantly turns over red blood cells, so too much red blood cell destruction can also lead to anemia.

There are severalways alcohol can lead to anemia. It can be a short-term or a long-term problem, depending on the cause. While anemia can be observed in the days immediately following heavy drinking, chronic alcohol use is more likely to cause certain types of anemia and result in additional long-term health issues, such asanemia’s association with chronic liver disease.

Alcohol’s Effect on Red Blood Cells

Alcohol has short-term and long-term effects on the body’s red blood cells, including:

• Bone marrow suppression:Alcohol can impact red blood cell production bydecreasing the number of precursor cellsin the bone marrow, resulting in fewer mature red blood cells being made.
• 增大红细胞:Alcohol can also impact red blood cell maturation, causing abnormally shaped or dysfunctional cells. When alcohol leads to enlarged red blood cells, they are likely to bedestroyed faster than normal cellsand will not function as well as normal red blood cells.
• Malnutrition:Alcohol may also affect how nutrients are absorbed from food. Alcohol-induced malnutrition tends tolead to folic acid deficiencies, affecting the ability of red blood cells to form normally.
• Gastrointestinal bleeding:Alcohol can significantly increase therisk of gastrointestinal bleeding. This bleeding can be small but continuous, slowly depleting the number of red blood cells and leading to anemia.

Symptoms of Alcohol-Induced Anemia

Because the human body needs oxygen to function properly and red blood cells deliver oxygen throughout the body, anemia can be a serious condition. If you know you’re anemic, it is important to know the symptoms and speak to a doctor if you start to experience any of them. Your doctor can also check for anemia if you’re showing several symptoms. Thesymptoms of anemia包括：

• Fatigue
• Feeling lightheaded
• Pale or yellow skin
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains
• Abnormal heartbeat
• Cold hands, feet or other extremities
• Headaches
• Reduced mental capacity
• 减少物理capacity

Is Anemia from Alcohol Abuse Preventable or Reversible?

Anemia fromalcohol abuseis reversible. Most individuals will see animprovement in red blood cell countsafter a period of abstinence from alcohol, returning to normal red blood cell formation and function.

If the alcohol-induced anemia was due to a deficiency in folic acid absorption, taking a supplement may help to offset this deficiency. However, the problem is ultimately struggling to absorb the folic acid, so a supplement may only provide limited help. Stopping alcohol use will be the best way to prevent folic acid deficiency anemia.

If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol addiction, The Recovery Village can help. To learn more about comprehensivealcohol rehab治疗计划，contact The Recovery Villageto speak with a representative.