What Are the Symptoms of Myelodysplastic Syndrome?

In myelodysplastic syndromes, otherwise known as myelodysplasia, the stem cells formed from a person's bone marrow don't necessarily develop or function as they should, leading to a lack of healthy cells within the blood, and causing a number of symptoms that indicate the presence of this particular disorder.

Fatigue

• Since myelodysplastic syndromes basically affect the quality of your blood, you will commonly experience fatigue and exhaustion when living with this condition.

Bruising

• Many people with myelodysplastic syndromes will also suffer from an almost heightened sensitivity to bruising, and even bleeding; this may appear as small, red dots under the skin.

Paleness

• A person suffering from myelodysplastic syndromes may oftentimes appear much paler than normal. This is largely due to the anemic nature of the condition.

Shortness of Breath

• Many times, a person with myelodysplastic syndromes will also suffer from shortness of breath, since the blood cells aren't as healthy as they were previously.

Weight Loss

• Another fairly common symptom of myelodysplastic syndrome is unexplained weight loss.

Infections

• A person suffering from myelodysplastic syndromes will be far more susceptible to infections, due to the lack of white blood cells and antibodies necessary to fend off disease.