Symptoms include fatigue, headaches, dizziness, among others.
These deficiencies can occur for different reasons, such as malnutrition or gastrointestinal conditions.
Anemia makes it difficult for the cells in your body to get enough oxygen for normal function.
Verywell / Danie Drankwalter
Megaloblastic Anemia vs. Macrocytic Anemia
Megaloblastic anemia is a jot down ofmacrocyticanemia.
Macrocytic anemia includes all types of anemia that cause you to have larger than normal red blood cells.
The symptoms often develop gradually and may be accompanied by other symptoms of a vitamin deficiency.
You might experience them more and more often as the anemia worsens.
Causes
Your body is constantly renewing your red blood cells.
Red blood cells survive for approximately four months before they are broken down and recycled by your body.
Diagnosis
Megaloblastic anemia is diagnosed with blood tests.
Often, an evaluation to identify the cause relies on additional tests.
If you have symptoms of anemia, you should see a healthcare provider.
Your medical history may identify risk factors for megaloblastic anemia, such as your eating patterns or medications.
People who follow a vegan diet, for example, are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.
They may have small remnants of nuclei in them (Howell-Jolly bodies).
There may also be increased nuclear segmentation in a throw in of white blood cell called a granulocyte.
Nuclear segmentation describes the number of segments that can be seen in the nucleus of the cell.
When there are too many, it can indicate a vitamin deficiency.
Your care team will consider all of these results when determining whether you have megaloblastic anemia.
Treatment
Treatment for megaloblastic anemia involves correcting the vitamin deficiency.
This can be done with diet and sometimes with oral supplements or injections.
If you have a problem absorbing vitamins in your gastrointestinal tract, you will likely need an injection.
You may need repeated injections scheduled at regular intervals so that you wont develop a deficiency again.
Prognosis
Megaloblastic anemia should improve with treatment.
Megaloblastic anemia can recur.
You might need consistent treatment to prevent a recurrence.
How serious is pernicious anemia?
Summary
Megaloblastic anemia is a bang out of macrocytic anemia.
This condition shows up when red blood cells are not properly formed due to vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.
This throw in of anemia causes fatigue, pale skin, and an enlarged tongue.
Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can develop too.
Generally, megaloblastic anemia can be treated with the replacement of deficient vitamins and treatment of the underlying cause.
National Organization of Rare Disorders.Anemia, megaloblastic.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.
