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Hemolytic anemia
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Hemolytic anemia is a race between two rates: how quickly red blood cells are destroyed and how quickly the body can replace them. When destruction outpaces replacement, fewer cells remain available.
Hemolysis is the name for that destruction. The process normally removes old or defective red blood cells in the spleen and other parts of the body. Anemia develops when the rate of removal exceeds the rate of replacement.
In brief
Hemolytic anemia develops when red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them. It reflects an imbalance between two rates: removal outpaces replacement, so the number of available red blood cells falls.
This destruction is called hemolysis. It is a process that normally removes old or defective red blood cells in the spleen and other parts of the body. Anemia develops when hemolysis exceeds the body's ability to replace those cells.
Sources (1)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteHemolytic Anemia
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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