Everything you should know about anemia

"The doctor told me that I have anemia." Surely it is a phrase that he has heard more than once throughout his life, but it is possible that he has not alwa

Everything you should know about anemia

"The doctor told me that I have anemia." Surely it is a phrase that he has heard more than once throughout his life, but it is possible that he has not always understood why this happens, what it consists of or how it can be treated.

If you want to know everything about this frequent health problem, I encourage you to continue reading. Its number of red blood cells will not increase therefore, but its health knowledge.

It is a health problem that appears when in our blood we do not have a sufficient number of red blood cells (hematis) or its function is deficient.

These globules are necessary to transport oxygen that we breathe all the tissues and organs of our body. They therefore carry out an essential function for life, and when we have anemia we have few or do not work well.

Of course, yes, in fact it is the most frequent blood disease: according to the World Health Organization 15% of the world's population suffers.

In Spain it is estimated that one in five fertile age women suffer, and 40% of the pregnant women have anemia due to lack of iron.

The most characteristic symptom is fatigue. In addition to this, and according to the severity of the case, we can also find us with weakness, increased heart rate, respiratory distress, dizziness, chest pain, headache, numbness of hands and feet, irritability or pallor of skin and mucous membranes .

With a blood test called hemogram that will take you at your health center. Whether routinely or because it presents some of the symptoms described, a small blood sample will suffice to be able to know in a few days and remedy it if necessary.

Thanks to this hemogram, in the laboratory they will count the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that are in their blood to check if they are at adequate levels.

We must bear in mind that, sometimes, anemia is not a health problem by itself, but it can be the sign that alerts us from a more serious illness that has not yet given the face. This can happen, for example, in some digestive or kidney tumors that cause a small loss of bloodless blood to the naked but continuous.

If it is one or another, it is something that will depend on the value of the result obtained in the laboratory with its blood sample. Normally a figure of hemoglobin is considered less than 12 in women and less than 13.5 in men.

Mild anemia is more difficult to detect because it barely causes symptoms or these go unnoticed.

That's right, and each one has its own cause that originates it. We can talk about anemia due to lack of iron (ferophenic anemia) or certain vitamins, by hemorrhage, a chronic disease, by a genetic problem or even as a side effect to a certain medication. According to the cause that originate the treatment will be different.

This type of anemia is the most frequent, and is due to an iron deficiency. This mineral is essential for the production of hemoglobin, and in turn hemoglobin is an essential protein so that red blood cells can transport oxygen: without sufficient iron does not come sufficient oxygen to the cells of our body.

It is usually due to a lack of iron in food, an inadequate absorption of the same or blood loss.

Your treatment is very variable. In the milder cases it will go through the administration of oral iron supplements or vitamins and the improvement of eating habits. In the most severe you may need to be carried out by carrying out blood transfusions.

If anemia is due to a blood loss, then it will also be essential to locate the bleeding point.

Some types of anemia do not, but a healthy, varied and balanced eating will a lot help optimal levels of red blood cells. It is not necessary to take iron supplements preventively, it is preferable to increase the intake of foods rich in this mineral as meat, fish, some nuts, some seafood or vegetables of dark green leaf.

Clear. This will be increased with the intake of vitamin C, while it will be reduced with milk, calcium, chocolate, coffee or tea.

Date Of Update: 10 December 2021, 12:02