The main clinical signs of diseases of the blood and blood can be general symptoms and more specific in the presence of certain diseases. All human blood diseases are accompanied by common symptoms, which include general weakness, fatigue, severe pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, dizziness, which are determined in almost all patients with blood diseases and gradually progress. More specific symptoms: increased bleeding, enlarged lymph nodes, bone pain, yellowness of the skin, fever, skin itching, pain in the right hypochondrium, trophic disorders of the skin, hair and nails. These symptoms also determine blood diseases in children.
An increase in body temperature above 38 ° C is often observed in acute leukemia, lymphosarcoma, myeloma, and lymphogranulomatosis. The temperature change is due to the pyrogenic influence of the decay products of the main blood cells - red blood cells and white blood cells. Low-grade fever occurs with hemolytic and B12– and folio- deficiency anemia. Fever is often the result of ulcerative necrotic and inflammatory processes, the development of which is associated with a secondary infection that accompanies the development of acute and chronic leukemia.
Increased bleeding characterizes many blood diseases. Symptoms of increased bleeding are associated with a decrease in platelet blood levels, some protein factors involved in blood clotting, or with damage to the vascular wall. Increased bleeding is manifested by the appearance of a hemorrhagic rash on the skin and mucous membranes after slight bruises or even ordinary pressure. Patients often experience bleeding from the nose, gums, digestive tract, lungs, kidneys, and uterus.
Enlarged lymph nodes or lymphadenopathy is the next sign that accompanies blood diseases. Symptoms of lymphadenopathy make it possible to suspect chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lymphogranulomatosis, lymphosarcoma. At the same time, these symptoms may indicate the development of an inflammatory process in the lymph nodes or tumor metastases.
Bone pain and especially sternum pain are almost the main symptom of leukemia. The pain occurs as a result of the growth of bone marrow in the flat bones with hemoblastosis. It can be spontaneous or appear when tapping on flat bones containing red bone marrow, in which hematopoiesis occurs. Prolonged lower back pain may appear in patients with myeloma. With this blood disease, bone fractures with minor loads are especially characteristic.
Loss of appetite and emaciation are typical of many diseases of the blood system. With iron deficiency anemia, a perversion of taste and smell is often observed, which is manifested in the tendency to use chalk, earth, coal. The patient seems pleasant sharp smells of paints, gasoline, ether, solvents.
Jaundice staining of the skin and mucous membranes often accompanies some blood diseases. Symptoms of jaundice are especially typical for a group of hemolytic anemia. It should be remembered that this symptom is often observed in diseases of the biliary system and liver.
Patients with lymphogranulomatosis, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, erythremia often have intense skin itching. Often it is the first symptom of the disease when other subjective symptoms of the disease are still absent.
Iron deficiency often determines some blood diseases. Symptoms of iron deficiency lead to a deficiency of enzymes containing iron, impaired synthesis of hemoglobin molecules. Clinically, this is manifested by the appearance of trophic changes in the skin, hair and nails - dryness and thinning of the skin, hair loss, brittle nails.