Plural of anemia; conditions where the blood doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body.
From Greek 'an-' (without) + 'haima' (blood). The term entered medical use in the 19th century as doctors named the condition of having insufficient blood or red blood cells.
Anemia became a fashionable diagnosis in Victorian novels—pale heroines often suffered from it, though many cases were likely just poor nutrition and tight corsets. It's fascinating that a single word describes dozens of different blood disorders ranging from iron deficiency to genetic conditions.
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