Is it possible to be anaemic without looking pale?

[Pfingstrose]

Random question that google is shedding no light on for me...

Can you not look visibly pale, yet still be anaemic?

After months of feeling rubbish I have finally made a doctors appointment for tomorrow... lots of my symptoms seem to fit with anaemia but at the same time I don't think I look pale?

Obviously the sensible thing for me to do would be to simply speak to the doctor in the morning when I visit, but I don't seem to be letting that stop me obsessively speculate in the meantime.

I have finally been prompted to make a doctors appointment based on the fact that my symptoms have been particularly bad over the last few days- tying in with the end of my period. Looking back this is a pattern I'd not clocked before.

I am exhausted, no energy or motivation at all. Every single time I stand up I get a sudden horrible dizzy headrushy thing followed by throbbing in my head. I'm breathless, sort of as though when I take a deep breath I'm not getting a full breath. When I get out of bed in the morning or get up after sitting for a while my joints feel stiff and sore for a couple of minutes. My feet feel cold, and I sometimes hear a whooshy pulse in my ears.

BUT I really wouldn't say that I look pale? Tried looking at my bottom eyelids but I'm not sure how red/pink they are supposed to look. Might have to inspect a family member for reference when they get home.

So yeah- anyone been anaemic but not pale?

Yes.

Physical appearance wouldn't be a useful indicator of anaemia unless it's severe [Kalantri et al, Accuracy and reliability of pallor for detecting anaemia: a hospital-based diagnostic accuracy study. PLoS One 2010;5:e8545]; even then, it's not very reliable.

There are lots of other things that your doctor will need to find out about, but in any case she/he will do a blood count that will show whether you're anaemic before making any firm conclusions about what might be causing it if you are.

Thank you BenjamintheDonkey! Strangely I actually feel better knowing my lack of paleness doesn't rule anaemia out,; perhaps I'm just desperate just to have an answer!

My problems started after training for and running my first marathon earlier this year so IF it is anaemia I'm hoping that combined with regular blood donations prior might have tipped the scales a bit. I guess time will tell...

Thanks again.