5 Facts you should know about

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA)

AIHA occurs when antibodies directed against the person's own red blood cells (RBCs) lyse

The lifetime of the RBCs is reduced from the normal 100–120 days to just a few days in serious cases

Symptoms include unusual weakness and fatigue with tachycardia and breathing difficulties, jaundice, dark urine, and/or splenomegaly

There are 2 main types of autoimmune hemolytic anemia: warm antibody hemolytic anemia and cold antibody hemolytic anemia

Autoimmune hemolysis may be a precursor of later onset systemic lupus erythematosus

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