i think it would be helpful to understand exactly what anemia is. anemia is the medical term for the inability of red blood cells to transport oxygen molecules to the tissues of the body. anemia can be caused by either a lack of red blood cells (such as from excessive bleeding) or from a lack of hemoglobin (a protein on red blood cells that enables them to transport oxygen). when a person has anemia their organs muscles nerves and other tissues are not receiving enough oxygen to function well. usually a person with anemia feels very "run down. " many people experience episodes of mild to moderate anemia due to temporary situations like heavy menstrual bleeding. because this type of anemia is caused by some sort of brief episode that brings about the condition the body often can rebound by producing additional red blood cells to correct the problem. sometimes however anemia is caused by a long-term medical condition that doesn't allow the body to "catch up" its red blood cell production. an example of this type of anemia is sickle cell anemia. this inherited disorder causes many red blood cells to be malformed and unable to transport oxygen. this is not a situation the body can correct by making more cells. so to answer your question untreated anemia can have a serious impact on a person's health depending on the cause. if a person has a chronic anemia they could actually die from the disease. and that would be a shame because most anemias can be managed with medications and supplements. if you have anemia or know someone you think may have it i suggest you visit a health care practitioner for a simple blood test and treatment. wishing you well!
what happens when you don't treat anemia?