Some messages from your body shouldn’t be brushed off. If you live with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), it’s important to recognize when signs and symptoms may be signaling that something serious is happening.

In AIHA, your immune system destroys your red blood cells — a process called hemolysis — faster than your bone marrow can replace them.

The degree of hemolysis determines how severe the symptoms can be. Here’s what to watch for, including which symptoms mean it’s time to seek immediate medical attention.

🗳️ Before you were diagnosed with wAIHA, which symptoms had the biggest impact on your daily life?

Fatigue

Joint/muscle pain

Shortness of breath

Racing heart

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Warning Signs of Severe Anemia

Anemia means you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen through your body. AIHA causes anemia because of the destruction of red blood cells.

If anemia develops slowly, your body may have time to adjust, so you might not notice many symptoms at first.

Possible symptoms include:

These symptoms happen because your body doesn’t have enough oxygen circulating.

If these symptoms come on suddenly or get noticeably worse, call your healthcare provider. You should call even if the symptoms don’t yet feel like a full emergency.

Signs of Heart or Breathing Problems

Chest pain and difficulty breathing deserve special attention if you have warm AIHA. When your red blood cell count drops, your heart has to work harder to deliver oxygen throughout your body, and that extra strain is what can trigger these symptoms.

Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath can be a sign your anemia has gotten more severe. Watch for it happening with less activity than usual, or even while you’re resting.

Chest Pain

Chest pain may signal that your heart is struggling to keep up with your body’s oxygen needs. In more serious cases, this extra strain can lead to heart failure, a condition where your heart can’t pump enough blood for what your body needs.

Pulmonary Embolism

Chest pain and breathing trouble can also point to a blood clot in the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism. Because warm AIHA can raise your risk of blood clots, this is another possibility to keep in mind.

Heart failure and pulmonary embolism don’t happen to everyone with warm AIHA, but their seriousness is why heart and breathing symptoms shouldn’t be waited out.

Most symptoms of warm AIHA develop gradually, but hemolysis can sometimes become severe or worsen quickly. Most cases can be managed with guidance from your care team, but certain symptoms require urgent medical evaluation or emergency care.

Recognizing a Medical Emergency

Understanding Terms Like ‘Hemolytic Crisis’ and ‘Flare’

You may come across the term “hemolytic crisis” while reading about AIHA. It’s sometimes used to describe a sudden increase in red blood cell destruction.

However, “hemolytic crisis” isn’t a term commonly used in medical guidelines, such as those from the American Society of Hematology. Instead, doctors generally describe warm AIHA as ranging from mild to severe.

You may also come across the term “flare.” This usually means that AIHA symptoms have returned or become worse after a period of improvement. Your healthcare provider may use the term “relapse” when the disease becomes active again after a period of improvement or remission.

In the end, the exact words matter less than what is happening to you. Recognizing signs that your condition may be getting worse and knowing when to seek medical care are essential.