2. ANEMIA
Anemia occurs when there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry
oxygen to your body’s organs. As a result, it’s common to feel cold and
symptoms of tiredness or weakness. There are many different types of
anemia, but the most common type is iron-deficiency anemia.
3. What is anemia?
• Anemia happens when you do not have enough red blood cells. The cells
travel with iron and hemoglobin, which is a protein that helps carry oxygen
through the bloodstream to your organs all through the body. When
someone develops anemia, they are said to be "anemic." Being anemic
might mean that you feel more tired or cold than you usually do, or if your
skin seems too pale. This is due to your organs not receiving the oxygen
they need to do their jobs. Some people find out they are low in iron when
they go to donate blood.
4.
5. NORMAL VALUES
Men > 13g/dl
Women >12g/dl
Pregnant women >11g/dl
Infants from 2 to 6 months > 9.5g/dl
Children from 6 months to 24 months>10.5g/dl
2yrs to 11yrs >11.5g/dl
Children from 12 years > 12g/dl
6. Are there different kinds of anemia?
• There are several different types of anemia, but each of them causes the
number of red blood cells in circulation to drop. Red blood cell levels are
low due to one of the following reasons:
• Your body cannot make enough hemoglobin (low hemoglobin).
• Your body makes hemoglobin, but the hemoglobin doesn't work correctly.
• Your body does not make enough red blood cells.
• Your body breaks down red blood cells too quickly.
• Some types of anemia that you may have heard of include iron-deficiency
anemia and sickle cell anemia.
7. How common is anemia?
• Anemia affects more than two billion people globally, which is more than
30% of the total population. It is especially common in countries with few
resources, but it also affects many people in the industrialized world.
Within the U.S., anemia is the most common blood condition. An estimated
three million Americans have the disorder.
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8. Who is most likely to develop
anemia?
• Anyone can develop anemia, although the following groups have a higher
risk:
• Women: Blood loss during monthly periods and childbirth can lead to
anemia. This is especially true if you have heavy periods or a condition
like fibroids.
• Children, ages 1 to 2: The body needs more iron during growth spurts.
• Infants: Infants may get less iron when they are weaned from breast milk
or formula to solid food. Iron from solid food is not as easily taken up by
the body.
• People over 65: People over 65 are more likely to have iron-poor diets and
certain chronic diseases.
• People on blood thinners: These medications include drugs include
aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix®), warfarin (Coumadin®), heparin products,
apixaban (Eliquis®), betrixaban (BevyxXa®), dabigatran (Pradaxa®),
edoxaban (Savaysa®) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto®).
9. What are the signs and symptoms of
anemia?
• Several signs and symptoms occur in all types of anemia, such as fatigue,
shortness of breath and feeling cold. Others include:
• Dizziness or weakness.
• Headache.
• Sore tongue.
• Pale skin, dry skin, or easily bruised skin.
• Unintended movement in the lower leg (restless legs syndrome).
• Fast heartbeat.
• Insomnia
• Brittle hair
• Brittle nails
• Spooning nails
10. How does anemia affect the body?
• Anemia can have other affects on your body in addition to feeling tired or
cold. Other signs that you might be lacking in iron include having brittle or
spoon-shaped nails and possible hair loss. You might find that your sense of
taste has changed, or you might experience ringing in your ears.
• Different types of anemia may lead to other serious problems. People
with sickle cell anemia often have heart and lung complications.
• If you have anemia that is not treated, it could lead to an arrhythmia
(irregular heartbeat), an enlarged heart or heart failure. You are also at
greater risk of getting infections and becoming depressed.
11. • How else does anemia affect children?
• It is important for children to have enough iron and other nutrients
in their diets to prevent anemia and the related problems with lack of
attention, delayed development of motor skills and problems with
learning. In older children, you need to pay more attention to signs
of anemia during growth spurts and menstrual cycles.
• How does anemia affect older adults?
• In older adults, anemia might have even more impact in causing
confusion or depression. Weakness may make walking more
difficult. Anemia may shorten your lifespan if you are older and it is
not treated.
12. How does anemia affect pregnancy?
• Iron deficiency during pregnancy increases the chance of complications,
such as premature birth. After the birth, studies have indicated that babies
born to women with low iron levels have a higher risk of low birth weight
and problems with their own iron levels.
• If you are pregnant, you are more likely to develop iron-deficiency anemia.
Your unborn baby relies on you for iron and other nutrients. Many women
who are pregnant take iron pills to prevent anemia. To make sure that you
have enough iron for you and your baby, eat well-balanced meals that
include iron-rich foods and foods that provide B12 and B9 vitamins. Follow
your healthcare provider's instructions for taking vitamins and adding iron
to your diet.
13. What causes iron-deficiency anemia?
• You can get iron-deficiency anemia from:
• Bleeding, either from losing a large amount of blood quickly (for instance,
in a serious accident) or losing small amounts of blood over a long period
of time. The body loses more iron with blood loss than it is able to replace
with food. This can happen to women having heavy menstrual periods or in
people who have inflammatory bowel disease.
• Not getting enough iron in the diet.
• Needing more iron than you did previously (for instance, during pregnancy
or illness).
• Some types of iron-deficiency anemia are called by other names related to
the cause, such as anemia of chronic disease (also called anemia of
inflammation) or acute blood loss anemia.
14. How is anemia diagnosed?
• There are various way to diagnose, anemia, but the most common method
involves a blood test called a complete blood count(CBC).this test
measures a number of components, including:
hematocrit levels, which involves, comparing the volume of RBCs with the
total volume of blood
• Haemoglobin levels
• RBC count
• A CBC can give an indication of a person’s overall health. It can also help a
doctor decide whether to check for underlying conditions such as
leukaemia or kidney disease.
• If RBC, haemoglobin, and hematocrit levels fall below the typical range, a
person likely has some from of anemia.
• However, it is possible for a health person’s levels to fall outside this range.
A CBC is not conclusive, but it is a helpful starting point for a doctor to
make an accurate diagnosis
15. How is anemia treated?
• First, your healthcare provider will find out if the anemia is being caused
by a poor diet or a more serious health problem. Then, you can be treated
for both the anemia and its cause. Iron-deficiency anemia is treated with:
• Iron supplements taken by mouth.
• Foods high in iron and foods that help your body absorb iron (like foods
with Vitamin C).
• Iron given through an intravenous (IV) infusion. (This is often a choice if
you have chronic kidney disease, or CKD.)
• Transfusions of red blood cells.
16. How can I prevent anemia?
• Some kinds of anemia, such as those that are inherited, cannot be
prevented. However, you can prevent anemia caused by iron deficiency,
vitamin B12 deficiency and vitamin B9 deficiency by eating well. This
includes eating a diet with enough foods that provide iron and these
vitamins, along with vitamin C food sources to help with the absorption.
Make sure that you drink enough water. Some studies have indicated that
this will help keep hemoglobin levels up.
