Anemia: How Is It treated And Can It Be Cured ?

What Is Anemia?

Anemia is a condition when you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells, to carry oxygen throughout your body. Anemia can be temporary or long-term (chronic). In many cases, it is mild but anemia can lead to be serious and life-threatening condition. Anemia is a blood disorder which can happen in people of all ages and from all ethnicities at any point in their lives. There are many different types of anemia. People who feel constantly tired, look pale, irregular, or fast heartbeat may be experiencing anemia.

Anemia can happen because;

I) Your body doesnot make enough red blood cells.

II) Bleeding causes you to lose red blood cells more rapid than they can be replaced.

III) Your body destroys red blood cells.

Why You Can Die From Anemia?

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. When you don’t have adequate red blood cells, your organs don’t get enough oxygen and can’t work properly. This can have severe consequences.

How Is Anemia Treated?

Treatment for anemia depends on the various type, cause, and severity of the condition. Treatments may involve dietary changes or supplements, medicines, or surgery to treat blood loss.

Goals Of Treatment

The motive of treatment is to increase the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry. This is done by rising the red blood cell count and/or hemoglobin level. Hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein in red blood cells which carries oxygen to the body.

Another goal is to treat the underlying etiology of anemia.

1) Dietary Changes And Supplements

A low level of vitamins or iron in the body can cause some type of anemias. These low levels are the result of a poor diet or certain diseases or conditions.

To raise your vitamin or iron level, your doctor may recommend you to change your diet or take vitamins or iron supplements. uaual vitamin supplements are vitamin B12 and folic acid. Vitamin C sometimes is given to help the body to absorb iron.

A) Iron

Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Your body can more easily absorb iron from meals than from vegetables or other foods. To treat your anemia, your doctor may advice eating more meat- especially red meat( such as beef or liver), as well as chicken, turkey, porkfish, and shellfish.

Iron is also available as a supplement. It’s usually combined with multivitamins and other more minerals that help your body absorb iron. A large amount of iron can be harmful, so take iron supplements only as your doctor prescribes.

B) Folic Acid(Folate)

A folic acid is a form of vitamin B that is found in foods. Your body requires folic acid to make and maintain new cells. Folic acid also is mostly important for pregnant women. It helps them avoid anemia and promotes the healthy growth and development of the fetus.

Good source of folic acid includes the beef liver, eggs, black-eyed peas, bread, pasta, spinach, bananas, oranges, and some other fruits and juices.

C) Vitamin B12

A low level of vitamin B12 can lead to pernicious anemia. This type of anemia often treated with vitamin B12 supplements.

Good source of vitamin B12 include:

  • Breakfast cereals with added Vit. B12
  • Meats such as beef, liver, poultry, and fish
  • Eggs and dairy products that includes milk, yogurt, and cheese.
  • Food fortified with Vit. B12, such as soy-based beverages and vegetarian burgers.

D) Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Good sources of vitamin C includes vegetables and fruits, especially citrus fruits. Citrus fruits include oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and similar fruits. Fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables, and juices usually have more vitamin C rather than canned ones.

2) Medicines

Your doctor may prescribe medicines to help your body for producing more red blood cells or to treat an underlying cause of anemia. Some of these medicines include;

I) Antibiotics to treat infections.

II) Hormones to treat heavy menstrual bleeding in teenaged and adult women.

III) Medicine to prevent the body’s immune system from destroying its own red blood cells.

IV) AA man-made version of erythropoietin to stimulate your body to make more red blood cells.

V) Chelation therapy for lead poisoning. It is mainly used in children who have iron deficiency anemia.

3) Blood transfusion

It is a safe and common procedure in which the blood is given to you through an intravenous line in one of your blood vessels. Transfusions require careful matching donated blood with the recipient’s blood.

4) Blood And Marrow Sten Cell Transplant

A blood and marrow stem cell transplant repalces your faulty stem cells with healthy ones from next person ( a donor). Stem cells are made in the bone marrow. They developed into red and white blood cells and platelets.

5) Surgery

If u have serious or life threatening bleeding that’s causing anemia, you may need surgery. For example, you may require surgery to control ongoing bleeding due to stomach ulcer or colcon cancer.

If your body is detroying red blood cells at a peak, you may need to have your spleen removed. The spleen is an organ that reduce wornout red blood cells from the body. An enlarged or disease spleen may remove more red blood cells than normal, causing anemia.