Some patients with anemia may have yellowing of the skin, but not all anemia results in yellowing of the skin.
Anemia is defined as an adult hemoglobin of less than 120 g/L for men, less than 110 g/L for women, and less than 100 g/L for pregnant women.
Anemia is not a stand-alone disease, but is a manifestation secondary to a variety of conditions. The most common manifestation of anemia is the pallor of the skin and mucous membranes. Clinical judgment of anemia is more accurate in the nails, the wrinkles of the skin of the palms of the hands, and the mucous membranes of the lips and mouth and the conjunctiva of the eyelids. Anemia may also present with symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness, tinnitus, memory loss, and lack of concentration.
Some patients with anemia may have yellowing of the skin, but yellowing of the skin does not occur in all cases of anemia and is mainly related to the type of anemia. Hemolytic anemia will appear yellow skin, mainly related to the patient’s elevated bilirubin. Iron deficiency anemia, aplastic anemia, or other anemias may not show yellowing of the skin.
If yellowing of the skin occurs, it is advisable to seek medical attention from the hematology department of the hospital to find out the cause.