NHS: Iron deficiency anaemia
Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells.
Iron is used to produce red blood cells, which help store and carry oxygen in the blood. If you have fewer red blood cells than is normal, your organs and tissues will not get as much oxygen as they usually would.
There are several different types of anaemia and each one has a different cause, although iron deficiency anaemia is the most common type.
NHS: Haemophilia
Haemophilia is an inherited condition that affects the blood's ability to clot.
Normally, when you cut yourself substances in the blood known as clotting factors combine with blood cells called platelets to make the blood sticky. This makes the bleeding stop eventually.
However, in haemophilia there are not as many clotting factors as there should be in the blood. This means someone with the condition will bleed for longer than usual.
NHS: Blood clots
Every year, many thousands of people in the UK develop a blood clot in a vein. It's known as venous thromboembolism (VTE) and is a serious, potentially fatal, medical condition.
VTE is the collective name for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism.
Although serious, most blood clots can be completely avoided. The key is to be aware if you're at risk and take some simple preventative steps.
NHSBT: Give Blood
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a Special Health Authority, dedicated to saving and improving lives through the wide range of services we provide to the NHS.
