Rebecca Smith
What Can You Do If You Re Anemic – Most medical texts begin to define anemia as a deficiency of hemoglobin. When your body produces fewer healthy red blood cells than normal, a condition called anemia occurs. This prevents you from getting enough oxygenated blood. Lack of oxygen can make you feel weak or tired. Headache, nausea and shortness of breath may occur. Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein in red blood cells (RBCs). Because hemoglobin binds to your lungs, RBCs can carry oxygen throughout your body. Anemia is diagnosed based on the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. An article published in The Lancet in 2015 stated that anemia affects one-third of the world’s population.
Symptoms of anemia include health problems, such as problems that affect the body’s ability to produce healthy RBCs or that cause RBCs to be lost or depleted too quickly. Anemia can cause symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness. It can also indicate a more serious illness, such as stomach bleeding, infectious inflammation, kidney disease, cancer, or autoimmune disease. Anemia is diagnosed based on your doctor’s medical history, physical exam, and blood test results. It can have many different forms, symptoms and causes.
What Can You Do If You Re Anemic
We at PathKind Laboratories offer a CBC test that includes a hemoglobin profile. Our phlebotomists know how to handle any complex test with proper hygiene. Know the causes and symptoms of anemia and get checked regularly to avoid anemia.
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Some anemias can be hereditary, while others are caused by certain chronic diseases. However, the most common form of anemia, iron deficiency anemia, is caused by a poor diet. Also, lack of iron in your body is the most common cause of anemia. The production of hemoglobin in your marrow requires iron. Without enough iron, your body cannot make enough hemoglobin for red blood cells.
You may not know you have anemia because the symptoms of this disorder are so subtle. As your blood cells begin to die, symptoms often begin to appear. The most obvious symptom of anemia is fatigue, feeling too tired to manage your activities. A variety of other symptoms may include:
It is important to see your doctor if you have signs or symptoms of anemia, especially if you have dizziness or chest pain, which are symptoms of severe anemia.
Consult your doctor if you have symptoms related to iron deficiency anemia. Self-diagnosis for iron deficiency anemia is not recommended. Instead of self-medicating with iron supplements, contact your doctor or get a hemoglobin test. Too much iron in the body can damage the liver and cause other complications, making it dangerous.
Symptoms Of Iron Deficiency
Some anemias such as sickle cell, hemolysis and plastic anemia cannot be prevented. People with chronic diseases who are at risk of anemia should pay attention to their symptoms. A healthy diet can also prevent malnutrition. The following points can help prevent iron deficiency and anemia:
Addressing the underlying imbalance that causes blood loss can help prevent anemia in people who have heavy periods or stomach problems, such as frequent diarrhea or blood in your stool.
Iron levels can be increased by eating iron-rich foods such as beans, lean meats, chicken, dark leafy vegetables and poultry.
Foods and beverages rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice, strawberries, and broccoli, help the body absorb iron.
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Since calcium can affect your body’s ability to absorb iron, talk to your doctor about the best way to make sure you get enough calcium and iron.
Anemia can be caused by low red blood cells (RBC) in the body. As a result, their oxygen levels drop, leading to signs and symptoms such as fatigue, pale skin, chest pain, and shortness of breath. RBC damage, damaged or reduced RBC production, and blood loss are common causes. A CBC test from a trusted diagnostic center like Pathkind Laboratories can help your doctor diagnose anemia. We offer our services through online booking and personal visits, and we have highly experienced professionals to assist you when you need it. Megan Soliman, MD – Reviewed by Jessica DiGiacinto and Shane Murphy – Updated May 26, 2023
There are many supplements that help treat iron deficiency anemia. To ensure proper and rapid absorption, there are certain foods to avoid, timing of consumption, and warning signs.
If you have iron-deficiency anemia, it means your iron levels are low and the flow of oxygen to your organs and tissues is reduced.
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Most iron deficiency anemia can be treated. If you’ve been diagnosed, iron supplements can help manage your condition. There are many types of iron supplements. Talk to your doctor about which iron supplement is best for you.
Use this data as a guide to determine if your iron supplements are managing your iron levels appropriately.
Iron is best absorbed from the stomach, but many people find that supplementing with iron in this way can also cause nausea and stomach cramps. Therefore, you may have less food in your stomach when you start taking iron tablets.
If you still experience stomach pain with small amounts of food, a change of supplement may also help. Ferrous sulfate is usually the first iron drug prescribed, but it can cause gastrointestinal upset. If this is the case, talk to your doctor about switching to ferrous gluconate, as it contains less elemental iron.
Postoperative Risks Of Anemia And Blood Loss
There are certain foods and beverages that should not be consumed while taking iron supplements. These ingredients affect absorption and make your supplements more effective.
Vitamin C or sugar in it can help absorption, and some doctors recommend taking it with your iron supplement.
Taking a daily iron supplement can also increase absorption, so don’t be surprised if your doctor recommends one!
Before helping you decide which iron supplement is best for you, your doctor will ask about your medical history, including any additional medications you may be taking.
Iron Deficiency Anemia: Causes, Symptoms, And Management
Iron is an essential mineral that our body needs to function properly. Iron deficiency anemia is a common form of anemia that occurs if you don’t have enough iron in your system from malnutrition, blood loss, or a diet that lacks natural sources of iron.
Iron supplements can help your body restore a healthy amount of iron. If you’ve been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, talk to your doctor about which supplements are right for you. When you start taking your iron supplements, it’s important to know if they’re working.
Avoiding certain foods such as raw vegetables or milk for a few hours before taking an iron supplement will ensure better absorption.
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Our experts constantly monitor the health and wellness space and update our articles as new information becomes available. When anemia doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells (RBCs), they do a blood test to check your red blood cells. (RBC):
If you have or have had anemia, here are some questions to ask your doctor(s):
The most common cause of anemia is iron deficiency. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein that gives blood its red color. It helps oxygen (O2) move from the lungs to other parts of the body.
People with severe anemia may be at risk of developing complications affecting the heart or lungs. For example, it can cause a myocardial infarction, which is an abnormal heart attack, or heart failure, in which the heart can’t pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.
Iron Deficiency Anemia: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment
If you’re anemic, your body isn’t getting enough oxygen-rich blood. A lack of oxygen can make you feel tired or weak. Difficulty breathing (indigestion), dizziness, headache, or irregular heartbeat may occur.
To treat anemia, your doctor may recommend eating more meat, especially red meat (beef or liver), as well as chicken, turkey, pork, fish, and shellfish. Vegetarian foods that are the best sources of iron include spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables.
If you can’t make healthy red blood cells, a bone marrow transplant is an option, called a stem cell transplant. During this procedure, your bone marrow is replaced by donor bone marrow that can produce healthy cells. It is the only treatment for some types of anemia, such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.
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Many people are at risk of anemia from malnutrition,