Anemia: causes and consequences of low hemoglobin
Anemia is a blood disease caused by insufficient intake of some microelements in the body. The most common type of this pathology is iron deficiency anemia, which is associated with a lack of iron in the body. According to statistics, it is more often diagnosed in women. It is associated with pregnancy, breastfeeding and menstruation. Patients with anemia are interested in how to increase hemoglobin in the blood - this is exactly the question that will be discussed in this article.
Causes of iron deficiency anemia
What does it mean if hemoglobin is below normal? This may be the result of insufficient intake of iron in the body or a violation of the mechanism of use of this trace element. Causes of iron deficiency anemia can be:
- insufficient intake of iron from food;
- increased need for iron;
- violation of iron absorption processes;
- heavy bleeding;
- long-term use of certain medicines;
- congenital iron deficiency (low hemoglobin is detected in a newborn child);
- alcohol addiction.
The causes and consequences of low hemoglobin are considered by doctors at the same time, because these concepts are interconnected. For example, a large blood loss can lead to an anemic coma, a pathological condition that requires emergency medical care, and insufficient intake of iron with food products can provoke a delay in growth and development.
Degrees of anemia and signs of the disease
The disease can have different degrees of severity, each of which will correspond to a certain level of hemoglobin in the blood:
- light degree - 90 g/l and above;
- moderate degree of severity – the hemoglobin level has dropped to 90 g/l, but not below 70 g/l;
- severe degree – hemoglobin values are less than 70 g/l.
Degrees of anemia have their own signs. For example, with a mild degree of the disease, a person does not feel any changes in his body at all, and when the level of hemoglobin drops below, the following will be noted:
- shortness of breath with light physical exertion;
- muscle weakness;
- constant feeling of fatigue;
- dullness of hair, fragility/flaking of nails;
- frequent infectious diseases.
Symptoms of anemia in women during pregnancy are pale skin, cold upper extremities, light dizziness, increased drowsiness, muscle weakness.
Symptoms and treatment of anemia are closely related, so doctors will first of all increase the level of hemoglobin, and in parallel with this, conduct symptomatic therapy that will help restore the general well-being of the patient.
How anemia is treated
Many people know that there are foods that increase hemoglobin - they should be the basis of the menu for a person diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. Such "medicinal" products include:
- cheese and cow's milk;
- chicken, beef and pork liver;
- rosehip fruits;
- prune;
- sea cabbage;
- black currant;
- rabbit meat;
- egg yolk;
- almond;
- buckwheat;
- apples.
It is very important to make a rational menu, and for this you need to know which foods increase hemoglobin. Doctors emphasize the importance of proper nutrition. It is impossible to prioritize meals from the above-mentioned products, because this way excess iron can accumulate in the body, which is also not the norm and leads to serious complications.
In some cases, doctors face the problem of severe anemia, and then they are faced with the question of how to quickly increase hemoglobin, since food will do it slowly. If it is necessary to provide urgent help to a person with iron-deficiency anemia, he is prescribed iron preparations - with low hemoglobin, they will provide a quick effect. As a rule, priority is given to the following drugs:
- Hemofer prolongatum;
- Ferro-foilgamma;
- Sorbifer Durules;
- Ferrum Lek.
Ascorbic acid and fructose are often prescribed to patients with anemia - medications that improve iron absorption.
Blood transfusion for low hemoglobin is performed only if drug therapy and adherence to a dietary regime do not give positive results. Usually, the indications for such a procedure are severe blood loss (there is simply no time for a slow recovery of the hemoglobin level), a steady decrease in blood pressure, upcoming childbirth/surgical intervention.
How dangerous is low hemoglobin? In the absence of treatment of anemia, there is a violation in the work of all organs and systems. Brain tissue may also be affected or heart and liver failure may develop, conditions that in most cases lead to disability or death.
All information on prevention and diagnosis of anemia, principles of treatment and rapid increase of hemoglobin level can be obtained on our website https://dobrobut.com/ .
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