What is anemia, in whom is it seen?
Anemia is the condition in which the amount of red blood cells and hemoglobin decreases by more than 10% of the normal value according to age and gender. There are many clinical causes leading to anemia. Anemia can be seen in all ages and genders.
What are the symptoms of anemia?
The main symptoms of anemia are weakness, fatigue, rapid fatigue, pale appearance, palpitations. If the anemia is advanced, there may be shortness of breath, dizziness, low blood pressure, fainting, chest pain.
What are the causes of anemia?
Anemia causes can be grouped under 3 main headings:
1. Blood loss (injury, menstrual periods, cancer, etc.)
2. Insufficient production of red blood cells (Iron deficiency Vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic diseases, bone marrow disorders, hemoglobin disorders: thalassemias)
3. Increased destruction of red blood cells (diseases or conditions that cause hemolysis (blood cell destruction): drugs, infections, genetic causes)
What are the causes of iron deficiency anemia?
Iron deficiency may develop due to inadequate dietary iron intake, insufficient absorption of iron from the stomach and intestines, or chronic blood loss.
The need for iron increases in growing children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. If it is not taken enough to meet the need with nutrition, iron deficiency develops.
There is insufficient intake in vegetarian diets.
After gastric and intestinal surgeries, gluten enteropathy (Celiac disease), Pica syndrome (eating habit of soil, clay, ice, dry coffee, tea, etc.) causes a decrease in iron absorption.
Excessive fiber diet, excessive consumption of tea also reduces iron absorption.
The most common causes of iron deficiency due to chronic blood loss are menstrual periods, stomach ulcers, gastritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, aspirin intake habits, and digestive system cancers.
Which methods are used in the treatment of anemia?
The important point in the treatment of anemia is to first reveal the cause of the anemia. The type of treatment varies according to the cause and severity of the anemia.
In anemia due to sudden blood loss, blood should be given to the patient. Anemia due to iron and vitamin B12 deficiency is treated by replacing the missing substance. The treatment of anemia due to chronic diseases is possible with the treatment of the related disease or the cause of anemia due to the disease.
How should one be fed to prevent anemia?
The most common type of nutritional anemia is iron deficiency anemia.
The average amount of iron taken in the daily diet is 10mg. 10-15% of this (approximately 1 mg) is absorbed. Liver, legumes, red meat are foods rich in iron. Cereal products, green vegetables, fruits, folk Contrary to popular belief, molasses and spinach are not foods rich in iron. Balanced consumption of foods rich in iron, as well as excessive consumption of tea that will reduce or prevent absorption, and a diet containing excessive fiber should be avoided.
What are the duties of mothers to protect babies from iron deficiency?
In order to protect babies from iron deficiency, it is important for mothers to meet their own iron needs first. Because iron needs are higher than normal during pregnancy and lactation. The infant’s breast milk intake was protective against iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency develops in infants given cow’s milk instead of breast milk. The absorption of iron in breast milk is higher than in cow’s milk.
How is anemia diagnosed in children and infants?
Pause in growth and motor development, restlessness, tendency to sleep, learning and behavioral disorders, frequent infections are the most common symptoms of anemia in infants and children.
What are the tips for preventing anemia in pregnant women and adults?
Iron supplements should be given to meet the increased need for iron during pregnancy and lactation. In an adult who does not have nutritional and bleeding disorders, there is no need to use iron medication as long as the blood values are normal. However, if there are long menstrual periods or vegetarian eating habits Anemia can be prevented with drug support.
What are the diseases/risks that occur when anemia is not treated?
In anemia, the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood decreases. With the decrease in the amount of oxygen going to the tissues, dysfunction occurs in the tissues. Therefore, symptoms of anemia occur in many systems. Especially those that occur in the heart, nervous system and muscles are important. dilatation (expansion), inability to feed the heart muscle (myocardial ischemia), increase in heart rate is observed.
Is there a difference in the course of anemia in recent years?
Opportunities in the treatment of anemia have expanded considerably in the last 25-30 years. Blood products are used more reliably, and successful results are obtained with newly developed applications especially for chronic diseases and anemia treatments due to hereditary disorders.
Is there a link between a vegetarian diet and anemia?
Anemia may occur due to lack of iron-rich red meat consumption in vegetarian diet.
Are the beliefs that anemia drugs cause weight gain true?
The most commonly used drugs in the treatment of anemia are iron preparations. These drugs replace the missing iron. They do not have any weight gaining effects.
Is anemia a treatable problem or does it become chronic?
Anemia is treated according to the cause. Chronic anemia is the result of a chronic disease that caused it.
Is there a difference in its appearance and course between men and women?
Anemia due to iron deficiency is more common in women due to menstrual periods, pregnancy and lactation periods. In addition, while the storage iron is about 1000mg in adult men, this value is less in women.
Does anemia attack periodically?
Iron deficiency anemia does not show seasonal attacks, but it is more common in infancy, pregnancy, lactation periods when the need for life increases, and in advanced age when intake or absorption decreases.
Is a person diagnosed with anemia in children at risk of recurring in adulthood after treatment?
Anemia is not a condition in which immunity is provided by treatment. Anemia may recur as long as the causes of anemia are revealed. If a person receiving iron deficiency treatment does not get enough iron from the diet or malabsorption develops, anemia due to iron deficiency may occur again.
In anemia due to chronic diseases or genetic disorders, anemia may occur or aggravate with the deterioration of the regulation in the treatment of the related disease.
Does anemia pose a risk to pregnancy?
Pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia may experience adverse infant development and premature labor.
