Causes and Etiology of Anaemia - Essay Example

Introduction: First of all we should learn some basic facts about blood, as the deficiency of red blood cell in body cause anemia. Plasma is the fluid which is present in blood which contains three types of blood cells; white blood cells are a part of immune's system and they protect our body from infection. Red blood cells flow in our body through substance and they carry oxygen known as haemoglobin, and Platelets make the clots in the blood. Iron is the key nutrient which will keep the red blood cells to store and carry oxygen to every part of the body. So if there is a lack of oxygen in the body, the organs and tissues will not get sufficient oxygen in the body as they normally do. Causes of anaemia (Etiology): Now let's define anaemia, It is a condition which is caused if there are reduced numbers of red blood cells or haemoglobin concentration. There are numerous types of anemia, and each one is caused by different reason. The most common type is iron deficiency anaemia. This is caused when your body is deficient of iron which is necessary to keep the red blood cells functioning properly. Haemoglobin's key component is iron, which helps the red blood cells carry and store oxygen. If there is not enough iron present then the red blood cells will carry less oxygen to the different organs and tissues of the body1. Blood need to be monitored once in month after the patient is diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. It is done to check whether the body is responding to the treatment, and some condition rarely may cause serious implications. After your iron level is back to normal the anemia has to be monitored at home. Only few symptoms of the illness are obvious in people who have iron deficiency anemia. The symptom's severity depends on how quickly the anemia develops. Most common symptoms are exhaustion, tiredness, shortness of breath (dyspnoea), and palpitations (irregular heart beat)2. Iron deficiency anemia occurs when the body is suffering from the iron insufficiency. The general physician can easily diagnose the iron deficiency anemia through a blood test. Haemoglobin test will be necessary to find out the how many red blood cells are present in the blood. Size and number of cells may be both affected by haemoglobin. Full blood count (FBC) is necessary and the readings should be above 13g/dl for men and 115.g/dl for women (grams of haemoglobin per decilitre). Lower reading indicates that you have anemia which also means that there is a deficiency of red blood cells.3 Other types of anemia can cause by a deficiency of vitamin B12 or folate (folic acid salt) in the body. Vitamin B12 also helps the body to produce red blood cells, it keep the nervous system healthy. Folate which is a folic acid salt works with vitamin B12 which produce red blood cells and it is very important for women who are pregnant, which helps in the growth and development of the baby. Eggs, dairy products and meat contain vitamin B12. Folate best sources are green vegetables like broccoli, peas, chickpeas and brown rice. A vitamin B12 deficiency is not common younger people, but it is most common in those people who are over the age of 75. Folate deficiency is also most general in people above 75 years of age. An anaemic person follows strict vegetarian diets who tend to be more at risk of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 anemia has the following general symptoms, which can tell that whether the patient is suffering from it. These symptoms include: fatigue, breathlessness (dyspnoea), and dizziness, irregular heart beats (palpitations), headache and loss of hunger. Usually the body stores enough vitamin B12 that last approximately for 2-4 years. However, it is very important that level of vitamin B12 is maintained in your diet which will ensure that is store of the vitamin is kept at a healthy level4. Patients suffering form any type of anemia he should take antioxidants, Copper (if deficient), Folic acid, Iron (when iron deficiency is diagnosed), L-carnitine, Magnesium, Taurine (if deficient in iron), Vitamin A (if deficient), Vitamin B1, Vitamin B12 (if deficient), Vitamin B2 (if deficient), Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Zinc in proper and nutrition form5. Major sources of iron are meat, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds, legumes and bean products, green leafy vegetables, raisins, whole grains and fortified cereals while other vegetables like Yellow Dock, Dandelion will also help in overcoming the deficiency of Iron and Vitamin B12 which are causing Anemeia. Make sure you do not over cook the vegetables. One should avoid coffee and tea as they affect the iron absorption. Best way to increase and give a quick boost to hemoglobin concentrations is to eat beetroot or drink beetroot juice. Other than these following are important nutritions which will help anemia patients. Egg, spinach, plantain (unripe banana), lentils, Rajma, Soya bean, Wheat Bran, brown bread, green pea, Almond, dates, molasses and milk as it is high in protein, fat, carbohydrate, Vitamin A & D, Calcium which will help in vitamin B12 but not in iron deficiency anemia case6. Conclusion: I think the monitoring is more important than the treatment, constant check of haemoglobin level in blood need to be reviewed. So taken good nutrition in the meals one can overcome the deficiency of iron and Vitamin B12. I found out that anemia is a most common disorder faced by human population in the world. Although the incidence is higher in women but it can easily be diagnosed and treated. I would suggest taking balanced diet to avoid the anemia or taking good care at home along with the medications. There are many countries which are working to give more information about anemia as it is not healthy and severe if found in any patient with chronic disease. The best way of prevention of iron deficiency is to educating oneself about the iron needs and the best iron nutrition. Recommended dietary supplements for men above 19 and women above 51 are 8 mg of iron per day; for women between the ages 19 to 50, the RDA is 18 mg of iron per day References: - Filter element for embolic protection device. FreePatentsOnline.com. 2004-2008. United States Patent Application 20020107541. Kind code:A1. 9th October, 2008. < http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2002/0107541.html>. - WHO. Turning the tide of malnutrition: responding to the challenge of the 21st century. Geneva: WHO, 2000 (WHO/NHD.007) 9th October 2008. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/anemia/en/ - Carmel.R. Prevalence of undiagnosed pernicious anemia in the elderly. 1996. Arch Intern Med. 9th October, 2008. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8638997 - Prevalence and outcomes of anemia in cancer: A systematic review of the literature. The American journal of medicine. 2004, vol. 116. 9th October 2008. http://cat.inist.fr/aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=15653193 - Higgnins. C. Haematology(Anaemia of chronic disease). Science Review: a regular column. 2007. Biomedical Scientist. 9th October 2008. http://www.ibms.org/index.cfmmethod=science.haematology&subpage=haematology_anaemia - Ross. E. Iron Deficiency Anemia: Risk Symptoms and treatment. 2002. thdoctorwillseeyounow.com. 22nd October 2008. http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/nutrition/fedef_17/ Read More