Types of Benign Blood Disorders

Types of Benign Blood Disorders

Blood-related conditions occur when the cells that make up the blood are damaged or act abnormally. The red or white blood cells or platelets can be impacted. This can affect the blood clotting process.

Blood disorders can be mild to moderate or severe. There are different types of blood disorders.

Benign Blood Disorders

These conditions are not cancerous. They include:

• Anemias (iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, immunohemolytic anemias, abnormal hemoglobins)
• Coagulation disorders (bleeding and clotting)
• Hypogammaglobulinemia (too few immunoglobulins in the blood)
• Leukocytopenia (too few white blood cells)
• Leukocytosis (too many white blood cells)
• Lymphocytosis (too many lymphocytes in the blood)
• Monoclonal gammopathies (too much immune globulin in the blood)
• Neutropenia (too few neutrophils, a type of white blood cell)
• Polycythemia (too many red blood cells)
• Thrombocythemia (too many platelets)
• Thrombocytopenia (too few platelets)

Acquired Blood Disorders

Acquired blood conditions such as anemia can occur for different reasons. These include:

• Chronic blood loss
• Inability to absorb vitamin B12
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Overproduction of blood proteins

Most acquired blood disorders do not impact your life span. These conditions have few if any symptoms. Acquired blood conditions respond well to treatment.

A few of these disorders can progress into more serious conditions or cancer. For example, monoclonal gammopathy can develop into plasma cell myeloma or multiple myeloma (cancers of the bone marrow), or lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system).

Inherited Blood Disorders

These conditions are present at birth. They often do not cause symptoms until later in life. Congenital blood disorders can lead to chronic or severe illness if not treated.

Examples include:

• Hemophilia. The blood does not clot normally.
• Sickle cell anemia. Red blood cells are shaped abnormally. This can cause jaundice, joint pain and ulcers
• Thrombophilia. The blood clots too much.