[Part 1] "No abnormalities in blood tests" - that might actually be "hidden anemia"

I was diagnosed with anemia in a blood test.
There were no problems in my blood test, but I still feel unwell.
Even if there is "no abnormality" in modern medicine, there is a "problem" when viewed through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
There are so many women around the age of 40 who feel this way.

Today, I would like to clearly organize the detailed meaning of "anemia," which you might think you know but actually don't, from the perspectives of modern medicine (Western medicine) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), so if you are struggling with this, be sure to check it out!

What is "anemia" as referred to in hospital tests?

In hospitals, anemia is defined as "a state where the component that carries oxygen in the blood (hemoglobin concentration) has fallen below the standard level."

Medical "anemia" refers to a state where the smartphone charging screen (hemoglobin) is at "5% remaining" and the screen is about to go dark.

If the parts that carry oxygen inside the cells called red blood cells (hemoglobin) are insufficient, the body enters a state of "oxygen deficiency."
This state where hemoglobin is running low is considered "anemia." (*Ferritin is also decreasing. More on this in the second half.)
When you are oxygen-deficient, you experience dizziness, shortness of breath, and intense fatigue.

Being told "you have anemia" during a health checkup means that the charging icon displayed on the screen has completely run out.

What is "hidden anemia" that slips through tests?

Hidden anemia is called "latent iron deficiency."

Using the smartphone analogy, it is a state where the charging icon on the screen (hemoglobin) is at 100%, but the smartphone's "battery itself (ferritin)" has actually reached the end of its life.It is a state where the "ferritin (stored iron = iron savings)" in the body is insufficient.

*Ferritin is an "iron piggy bank (stored iron)" for storing excess iron in the body. It is like the "maximum battery capacity" on a smartphone.

When iron in the body starts to run low, the body first breaks into the "piggy bank (ferritin)" to try to keep the "screen charge (hemoglobin)" needed for daily life looking like 100%.

In the starting stage of iron deficiency, even if you have a health checkup, it slips through because "the screen is at 100%, so there's no abnormality!"
This is the true nature of hidden anemia.

[Guidelines for hidden anemia (ferritin levels)]

When the number in the iron piggy bank (ferritin level) falls below 30 ng/mL (especially 10–15 ng/mL or less), it is often judged as a yellow light for "hidden anemia".

Standard health checkup menus do not include a test to measure this "iron piggy bank (ferritin)." This is also a pitfall... (I will write about this in detail next time.)

What is "anemia" from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Up to this point, we have been discussing Western medicine, but if we take a look from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we can discover even more interesting things.

In TCM, blood test values are not used at all. Instead,
a state where the "blood (xue)" that nourishes the entire body is insufficient is called "blood deficiency (xue xu)," and this is how anemia is perceived.

In TCM, "blood" does not just carry oxygen; it also has the important functions of "moistening the skin and hair" and "calming and stabilizing the mind."
Therefore, when this is insufficient, not only dizziness but also the following signs are likely to appear.

• Skin and hair become dry and brittle, nails break easily

• Dry eyes

• Cannot sleep soundly at night, having many dreams

• Unexplained anxiety, feeling down

In TCM, no matter how normal the blood test numbers are, if these physical ailments are present, it is considered that "there is not enough blood."

In other words, from the perspective of TCM (Eastern medicine), there is no such term as "hidden anemia" in the first place; it teaches us that "regardless of what the screen shows, if you are experiencing difficult symptoms, it is a lack of blood."

"No abnormalities" can also be hidden anemia...

The difficult part about hidden anemia is that you cannot definitively say, "I'm fine because the hospital test didn't say I have anemia."

Even if the screen display (hemoglobin) is at 100%, when the internal battery (ferritin) is on the verge of dying, our minds and bodies are sending out distress signals. You might be living normally, feeling energetic, and having no abnormalities in blood tests right now. But the signs of blood deficiency are appearing. This is scary. It should not be underestimated.

In the next article (Part 2), we will unravel this "hidden anemia" in more detail! I think it will be incredibly educational, so I would be happy if you could use it as a reference.

In the next article (Part 2), we will unravel this "hidden anemia" in more detail! I think it will be incredibly educational, so I would be happy if you could use it as a reference.

*The content of this article does not substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of any specific disease. If you have persistent ailments or wish to know your exact physical condition, please do not rely on self-judgment and be sure to visit a medical institution (internal medicine, gynecology, etc.) to receive a doctor's examination and tests.