Treatment for anemia begins by identifying and treating any underlying cause. For example, anemia is commonly caused by chronic kidney disease, thus treating the kidney disease may resolve the anemia.

If the anemia is not caused by another disease, it may be treated with supplements, injections of specific vitamins and/or increased intake of nutrient-rich foods. Other treatments for anemia include:

• Blood transfusions. This may be used to replace the patients blood with healthy blood of the same blood type. However, precautions need to be taken to make sure that iron levels do not rise to dangerous levels while patients receive blood transfusions.
  
  
• Medications. Several medications may be used to treat anemia, including steroids, which reduce misguided immune responses from attacking red blood cells.
  
  
• Surgery. If the spleen is destroying red blood cells faster than bone marrow can produce them, the spleen may need to be removed.

Research is ongoing to determine the best treatments for different types of anemia among certain groups. A recent study found that African-American women with sickle cell anemia responded twice as well as their male counterparts to injections of nitric oxide (a substance that dilates arteries, allowing blood to flow more freely).

Although not yet a treatment option, gene therapy may hold promise in the treatment of some types of anemia. Researchers have successfully corrected sickle cell anemia in mice using gene therapy. Eating a balanced, heart-healthy diet can help prevent the most common forms of anemia. Other types of anemia are present since birth, or develop for unknown reasons, and have no known prevention strategies.