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Are you unable to carry out your regular activities? Are you plagued by tiredness and fatigue? It could be anemia. Do not ignore anemia as it could lead to serious diseases like cancer. Anemia seems to be the most common blood disorder in United States as it affects 3.4 million Americans. Fries are certainly tasty but do not shun nutritious food, as lack of nutrition is the main cause for anemia. You may be surprised to know that older people are more susceptible to anemia. Chronic inflammation and nutritional deficiencies are considered to be the main cause for it. Reports show that people with following diseases have the greater risk of getting anemia: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic kidney disease.
Symptoms of Anemia(Anemia Symptoms)
You are affected by anemia if your blood does not have enough hemoglobin or enough red blood cells. Since the early symptoms of anemia, are mild, it is easy to mistake the anemia symptoms for symptoms of some serious disease. Anemia could have an adverse impact on the quality of your life. Major symptoms of anemia include: heart palpitation, fatigue, dizziness, loss of concentration, rapid heart breath and pale skin. Unhappiness and depression could also be a major symptom of anemia.
Headache, irritability, syncope and bounding pulse are also symptoms of anemia. Observable signs of anemia are: tachycardia, mild peripheral edema, ejection systolic murmur and venous hums. Angina pectoris among old people is a clear sign of anemia. Females tend to develop abnormal menstruation and amenorrhea if anemia affects them whereas males develop impotence and decrease in libido. Anemia could either be the result of an inherited disorder or it could result due to your environment, such as infection or exposure to a toxin or a drug.
Diagnosis of Anemia
Diagnosis of anemia could be done with the help of physical exams, blood tests and medical history. Blood tests include a complete blood count to measure levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood. Note that a normal hemoglobin range should be between 12 and 18 grams per deciliter of blood. Diagnosis of anemia could also be done by examining the shape, size and color of your red blood cells. Red blood cells are smaller and paler in color in the case of iron deficiency anemia. Red blood cells are enlarged and fewer in number in the case of vitamin deficiency anemia.
If you receive a diagnosis of anemia, your physician could instruct additional tests to determine the underlying cause. Take the case of iron deficiency anemia. It could be the result of chronic bleeding, unknown ulcer, colon cancer or other types of tumors. Vitamin B12 anemia could be diagnosed with the help of bone marrow biopsy. Diagnosis of anemia could also be done by checking the levels of ferritin in the blood of pre-menopausal women.
Treatment of Anemia
Treatment of anemia varies as it depends on the type. Your physician enables you to decide the best treatment options, such as nutritional supplements, medication or diet modification. Treatment for anemia tends to focus on the underlying disease. It is better to undertake treatment for anemia as treatment could plays a major role in improving the quality of life. Prescription treatment helps in stimulating red blood cell production and assists in correcting anemia.
If the patient is not getting sufficient iron in his diet or losing small amounts of iron due to medication abuse or tumors, physicians recommend iron-rich food or iron pills to them. Iron rich food includes seafood, dry fruits, Lima beans, liver and green vegetables. Monthly B-12 injections could play an effective role in curing B-12 deficiencies. Therapies for anemia also include fluids, fresh frozen plasma, oxygen, vasopressors and platelet replacement.
How to Prevent Anemia?
Though you cannot prevent some types of anemia, you could avoid vitamin deficiency and iron deficiency anemia by eating varied diet that consists of food rich in vitamin B-12, folate and iron. Best sources of iron include lamb, pork and beef. Iron fortified cereals, pastas, green leafy vegetables, nuts, dried fruits and seeds are also foods rich in iron content. Meat and diary products contain vitamin B-12. Note that foods containing vitamin-c increases iron absorption.
Remember that iron is required during growth spurts and it is also very essential for pregnant and menstruating women. If long-distance runners need adequate iron-containing foods so do infants and vegetarians. Physicians prescribe multi-vitamins containing iron for people with high requirements. Note that iron supplements are essential only if you require more iron than a balanced diet could provide. Do not overload your body with iron as it could prove to be dangerous.
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