How to Treat the Common Types of Anemia
Presently, Anemia is a common blood disorder. The body needs oxygen t all time, therefore, without erythrocytes the body has a hard time, and the individual shows the following symptoms; When you have anemia, your body lacks oxygen so that you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Pounding or "whooshing" in your ears
- Headache
- Cold hands or feet
- Pale or yellow skin
- Chest pain
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Unusually rapid heart beat, particularly with exercise
- Shortness of breath and headache, particularly with exercise
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness
- Pale skin
- Leg cramps
- Insomnia
The common symptoms of anemia are insomnia, dizziness, cold feet, and pale skin. Each type of anemia is unique characteristics; therefore, it is best to treat each type of anemia uniquely.
- Iron-deficiency anemia is almost always due to blood loss. If you have iron-deficiency anemia, your doctor may order tests to determine if you are losing blood from your stomach or bowels. Other nutritional anemia, such as folate or B-12 deficiency, may result from poor diet or from an inability to absorb vitamins in the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment varies from changing your diet to taking dietary supplements.
- If your anemia is due to a chronic disease, treatment of the underlying disease will often improve the anemia. Under some circumstances, such as chronic kidney disease, your doctor may prescribe medication such as erythropoietin injections to stimulate your bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
- Aplastic anemia occurs if your bone marrow stops producing red blood cells. Aplastic anemia may be due to primary bone marrow failure, myelodysplasia (a condition in which the bone marrow produces abnormal red blood cells that do not mature correctly), or occasionally as a side effect of some medications. If you appear to have a form of aplastic anemia, your doctor may refer you to a hematologist for a bone marrow biopsy to determine the cause of the anemia. Medications and blood transfusions may be used to treat aplastic anemia.
- Hemolytic anemia occurs when red blood cells are destroyed in the bloodstream. This may be due to mechanical factors (a leaky heart valve or an aneurysm), infection, or an autoimmune disease. The cause can often be identified by special blood tests and by looking at the red blood cells under a microscope. The treatment will depend upon the cause and may include referral to a heart or vascular specialist, antibiotics, or drugs that suppress the immune system.
- Anemia caused by increased red blood cell destruction The treatment of hemolytic anemia may be tailored to the underlying cause. It is important to consider altering or stopping any medication or agent that is causing the condition. Adding folate supplements is often needed as levels drop. Some patients may require blood transfusion or iron replacement therapy, but it is a complex decision as to whether either is given.
- Sickle cell anemia treatment. The drug hydroxycarbamide is sometimes recommended if a person has recurring sickle cell crisis episodes. It appears to stimulate the formation of an alternate form of hemoglobin that is not susceptible to the sickling. This medicine may help to limit the number of episodes and the severity.
- For vitamin B12 and folate deficiency anemia, the treatment depends on the cause of the deficiency. If your body stores are depleted of vitamin B12, your doctor is most likely to prescribe vitamin B12 injections. If the vitamin B12 levels are borderline; low then your doctor may try oral tablets in a high dose first to see your response. There is a good chance that many of the symptoms associated with this type of deficiency will improve very quickly once the body is provided with the needed B12.
- Lead poisoning anemia is treated by discontinuing exposure to lead and administering medicine that binds and draws lead out of the body. Where the household is suspected as the source of lead poisoning, calling the local environmental health department is essential. Old lead water piping used to be a problem in older houses.
- With iron deficiency anemia, your doctor may recommend iron supplements that contain the strong form of iron, which your body can absorb quickly. Always consult your doctor before taking iron supplements. Excess iron intake can be harmful. Symptoms of iron overload include fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, irritability and joint problems.
In the case of iron deficiency anemia, it is best to treat it by supplementation with ferrous iron. Interestingly, anemia is preventable by good healthy eating.
While many types of anemia cannot be prevented, eating healthy foods can help you avoid both iron and vitamin deficiency anemia. Foods to include in your diet include those with high levels of iron (beef, dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, and nuts), vitamin B-12 (meat and dairy), and folic acid (citrus juices, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, and fortified cereals). A daily multivitamin will also help prevent nutritional anemia; however, older adults should not take iron supplements for iron-deficiency anemia unless instructed by their physicians.
Sourced from: http://www.hematology.org/Patients/Anemia/