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:
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.
Anemia is one of the most common blood disorders affecting more than three million people in the United States. However, most people assume that anemia is just that; unknown to them there are different types of anemia. It is important to begin with the understanding that anemia affects red blood cells within the plasma.
Red blood cells carry hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein that attaches to oxygen in the lungs and carries it to tissues throughout the body. Anemia occurs when you do not have enough red blood cells or when your red blood cells do not function properly. It is diagnosed when a blood test shows a hemoglobin value of less than 13.5 gm/dl in a man or less than 12.0 gm/dl in a woman. Normal values for children vary with age.
Anemia results due to the reduced number or dysfunctional erythrocytes. The role of red blood cells (erythrocytes) is as follows:
Red cells contain a special protein called hemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and then returns carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs so it can be exhaled. Blood appears red because of a large number of red blood cells, which get their color from the hemoglobin. The percentage of whole blood volume that is made up of red blood cells is called the hematocrit and is a common measure of red blood cell levels.
Erythrocytes are important in the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, and the removal of carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs. The following are the most common types of anemia.
Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. It happens when you do not have enough iron in your body. Iron deficiency is usually due to blood loss but may occasionally be due to poor absorption of iron. Pregnancy and childbirth consume a great deal of iron and thus can result in pregnancy-related anemia. People who have had gastric bypass surgery for weight loss or other reasons may also be iron deficient due to poor absorption.
Vitamin-deficiency (megaloblastic) anemia may result from low levels of vitamin B12 or folate (folic acid), usually due to inadequate dietary intake. Pernicious anemia is a condition in which vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.
Anemia and Pregnancy - Learn about the risk factors and symptoms of anemia during pregnancy.
Aplastic anemia is a rare form of anemia that occurs when the body stops making enough red blood cells. Common causes include viral infections, exposure to toxic chemicals, drugs, and autoimmune diseases. Idiopathic aplastic anemia is the term used when the reason for low red blood cell production is not known.
Hemolytic anemia occurs when red blood cells are broken up in the bloodstream or in the spleen. Hemolytic anemia may be due to mechanical causes (leaky heart valves or aneurysms), infections, autoimmune disorders, or congenital abnormalities in the red blood cell. Inherited abnormalities may affect the hemoglobin or the red blood cell structure or function. Examples of inherited hemolytic anemia include some types of thalassemia and low levels of enzymes such as glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. The treatment will depend on the cause.
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited hemolytic anemia in which the hemoglobin protein is abnormal, causing the red blood cells to be rigid and clog the circulation because they are unable to flow through small blood vessels.
Anemia caused by other diseases - Some diseases can affect the body's ability to make red blood cells. For example, some patients with kidney disease develop anemia because the kidneys are not making enough of the hormone erythropoietin signal the bone marrow to make new or more red blood cells. Chemotherapy used to treat various cancers often impairs the body's ability to produce new red blood cells, and anemia often results from this treatment.
Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders, which cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin (an iron-rich protein in red blood cells).
The two major types of thalassemia are alpha- and beta thalassemia. The most severe form of alpha thalassemia is known as alpha thalassemia major or hydrops fetalis while the serious form of beta thalassemia is known as thalassemia major or Cooley's anemia.
Thalassaemias affect both males and females and occur most often in people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African descent. Severe forms are usually diagnosed in early childhood and are lifelong conditions.
Pernicious Anemia
Pernicious anemia is a condition in which the body cannot make enough healthy red blood cells because it does not have enough vitamin B12 (a nutrient found in certain foods). People who have pernicious anemia cannot absorb enough vitamin B12 due to a lack of intrinsic factor (a protein made in the stomach). However, other conditions and factors can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency.
Sourced from: http://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Your-Blood/Anaemia-20130216-2
