7-Breathing difficulty
In severe cases of anemia, patients may also have breathing difficulties and feel shortness of breath. This is because similar to the heart, the lungs enter into a compensatory phase trying to make up for the low levels of oxygen in the blood. Low oxygen is perceived by the brain centers, and they give a signal to the lungs to make it work harder. Thus, patients feel as if they were not breathing properly when, in reality, this is not a real problem. The symptoms will be aggravated or triggered during intense physical activity and activities such as lifting the stairs or carrying heavy weight.