Question 1 . I am a 32 year old female. Although I used iron constantly, my anemia did not improve. What is the reason of this? What should I do?
Answer 1 . Anemia, also known as anemia, can be seen in many cases. Anemia should not be considered as a single disease, but as a common result of many diseases. Since anemia due to iron deficiency is most common in women, it is customary to give iron therapy to unexplored patients. If a patient who takes iron does not see blood elevation, there may be three reasons for this. The first is the continuation of blood loss. Bleeding and iron loss continue, especially in women with excessive menstruation, and the given iron medication is not enough.
The second condition in which anemia does not improve is the insufficient amount of iron taken from the digestive system into the blood. When iron is taken with substances such as milk and tea, its absorption is impaired. Therefore, it should be taken on an empty stomach. Absorption is increased if substances containing vitamin C such as orange juice are taken together. In fact, vitamin C tablets can be given at the same time as iron. Iron taken on an empty stomach can sometimes cause stomach and intestinal discomfort. In this case, it can be taken with meat. The absorption of iron taken with meat does not decrease, it may even increase. If the anemia does not improve despite all these, it means that the person has an absorption disorder. It would be appropriate both to investigate this disorder and to give iron intravenously or intramuscularly. Since some side effects can be seen in extraoral iron, it must be applied under the control of a physician.
Another condition in which anemia does not improve is that the patient’s anemia is not due to iron deficiency. It is easy to diagnose. Differential diagnosis is made by looking at serum iron, iron binding capacity and ferritin levels. The conditions most confused with iron deficiency are rheumatic diseases and chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, brucella, and thalassemia carrier, also known as Mediterranean anemia. In these diseases, giving iron can even be harmful.
