Anaemia is a condition when one's hemoglobin (Hb) is low. In Indian setup levels are as follows -
For males <13gm% & females <11gm%.
Causes of anaemia
1. Low dietary intake of iron & folic acid.
2. Blood loss - which may be due to
- Piles,
- Gastric ulcer,
- Major surgery,
- Accidents and injuries.
3. Bone marrow suppression as in blood cancers
Some drugs can cause bone marrow suppression.
4. Worms
What are the effects? - early tiredness because Hb helps in carrying oxygen.
Anaemia if not corrected earlier can have deleterious effects on health.It can cause 'Anaemic retinopathy" in which bleeding occurs inside the eye.
Long-standing severe anaemia can lead to heart failure.
It can be associated with other conditions like "pancytopenia"in which all the blood cells production decreases.
How to correct it?
1. Eat foods rich in iron & folic acid,vitamin B12- almonds, apple, jaggery, dates, meat.
2. Take iron supplements as per doctor's advice.
3. Take Rx for following conditions- worms especially in children, piles.
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| Author: Dr.Sanjeev(Sandy) 02 Sep 2008 | Member Level: Platinum Points : 1 |
Worm infestation specially the hook worm is the main cause of iron deficiency anemia in childrn. In pregnancy iron requirement increases leading to anemia but if supplemented it can be prevented.
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| Author: SANJEEV RANJAN DESAI 03 Sep 2008 | Member Level: Silver Points : 2 |
Anaemia can occur in kidney disease also.A hormone erythropoetin is released by kidney.This hormone helps in erythropoesis(formation of RBC in bone marrow.Some genetically inherited conditions like sickle cell disease, leads to defective RBC production.In this condition beta chain of hemoglobin is altered in amino acid sequence.At position six valine is substituted for glutamic acid.Such RBC at low oxygen tension undergo sickling and trapped in microvasculature and hemolysed leading to sickle cell anaemia.Anaemia is of many types.Some examples are Iron Deficiency anaemia,Pernicious anaemia,Sideroblastic anaemia,Megaloblastic anaemia,Sickle cell anaemia etc.
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| Author: drsachin 19 Sep 2008 | Member Level: Diamond Points : 2 |
For worms drugs like mebendazole ,albendazole are useful.
For correction of piles,surgical consultation should be made.This is an important cause of blood loss.
One should eat nonveg diet adequate so that he gets vit B12 as veg diet contains very less amounts of vit B12.
Certain drugs like primaquine which is used in Rx of malaria can cause bone marrow toxicity.
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| Author: drsachin 12 Oct 2008 | Member Level: Diamond Points : 1 |
In Sickle cell anaemia ,RBC's (red blood cells) are fragile & become sickle shaped.Their oxygen carrying capacity is poor.The disease has variants like
1)Sickle cell trait
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