What is anemia ?
Anemia means that there are too few red blood cells in the blood or that the red blood cells don't work properly. As a result, the blood less oxygen transport and you can get several complaints.
In the red blood cell is hemoglobin (Hb). Hemoglobin is needed to transport oxygen from your lungs to all parts of the body.
To determine whether you have anemia has, looks at the value of Hb in the blood.
Men have anemia as the Hb is lower than 8.5 mmol/l.
Women have anemia as the Hb less than 7.5 mmol/l.
There are different values for pregnant women and children.
The medical term for anemia is anemia.
Anemia Causes
Anemia can be caused by:
*iron deficiency (this is the most common cause)
*a deficiency of vitamin B12
*a deficiency of folic acid
*a chronic disease, infection or inflammation
*a congenital defect
By blood tests can your doctor find the cause of your anemia.
Anemia iron deficiency
Iron is the main component of hemoglobin. An iron deficiency can, for example in the following situations:
*You lose blood
-after surgery, childbirth or miscarriage
-after a period of prolonged or heavy menstrual periods
after a period in which you long time (unnoticed) little bits of blood loss, such as in your stomach or intestines. This can be done by certain drugs (ibuprofen, diclofenac), or in a disease of the stomach or intestines.
-The body needs more iron.
This is, for instance as a growing child and a woman in pregnancy. Through diet, most people in the Netherlands have enough iron to meet. To increased iron requirements
Someone eats very long, very little nutrition where iron in it.
*For example, people with very little appetite or people who do very strict on the line.
Your body can not properly take iron from the diet.
*This is for instance so in certain gastro-intestinal diseases.
Anemia by a deficiency of vitamin B12
*Usually this is caused by a disease of the stomach or intestines (such as atrophic gastritis or Crohn's disease). Vitamin B12 can not be recorded. Enough your body
*Another cause may be too little vitamin B12 in the diet. Most people get enough vitamin B12 in their diet. Only if you eat for months little or no animal products (meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs) and few good replacement power quest, you can get a vitamin B12 deficiency. This may occur for instance when:
-vegetarians (people who do not eat meat) if they use enough varied food and insufficient milk products and eggs
-Vegans (people who no meat, fish, eggs and dairy food)
-alcoholics
-people with very little appetite or severely do on the line
*Another cause is long-term use of certain medications, such as:
-proton pump inhibitors: eg omeprazole or pantoprazole
-diabetes means: metformin
Anemia folic acid deficiency
This is especially common in people who take too little nutritional value folate in it. Folic acid is found in liver, asparagus, spinach, whole grains and legumes.
Alcoholics also have risk of folic acid deficiency, especially if they eat unhealthy.
Anemia by chronic disease
A chronic disease may disturb the production of hemoglobin. For example, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer or infections that often occur or take a long time. Are likely to be the red blood cells also broken down faster in these situations.
Anemia by a genetic abnormality
An inherited hemoglobin may cause anemia. The red blood cells carry less oxygen and can then be rapidly degraded.
Examples of these disorders are sickle cell disease and thalassemia. These abnormalities are more common in people from countries around the Mediterranean, from Central Africa and Suriname.
Anemia Treatment
The treatment of anemia depends on the cause.
*A lot of blood loss during menstruation may reduce, for example, by use of the contraceptive pill.
*Use painkillers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen or diclofenac which can damage the stomach lining?
Then you better for a painkiller like paracetamol switching.
*Is the cause of iron deficiency anemia and has good power supply unable to prevent this?
Then you need extra iron (ferrofumaraat) in the form of tablets or drink. The GP writes for how much you need to take every day. These drugs may have side effects, such as constipation, stomach pain and black stools.
The absorption of iron in the intestine by vitamin C at the same time you can promote (as in orange juice or kiwi) to take.
*A deficiency of folic acid help folic acid tablets.
Take each day one tablet of 0.5 mg of folic acid. Which you can buy at the drugstore or pharmacy without prescription.
*If you have anemia and low vitamin B12?
Then take a tablet every day of 1000 micrograms of vitamin B12. Discuss this with your doctor. Vitamin B12 tablets you can buy at the pharmacy or drugstore without a prescription. They are not reimbursed. Please ensure that the tablets of 1000 micrograms.
And a recording disorder of vitamin B12 due to a disease of the stomach tablets vitamin B12 will also work.
Sometimes injections of vitamin B12 are needed, ie when someone has severe symptoms and the need to quickly get. Normal vitamin B12
Then someone gets one injection per week or every 3 to 4 days. After 10 injections every 2 months, an injection enough.
*In very severe anemia someone gets some extra red blood cells in a blood transfusion.
Advice for anemia
When you eat healthy and varied, you get enough nutrients inside to make red blood cells.
In the following situations, it is wise to eat that much iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid in it additional products:
*Your diet differs greatly, for example, by a very limited diet or because you are vegan.
*You have a great need for building materials. That is for example, with growing children or in women during pregnancy.
*You are chronically ill.
*You lose a lot of blood in your period.
Where is a lot of iron in?
*in virtually all types of meat
*in certain fish species (cod, herring and sardines)
*in certain shellfish (shrimp, mussels and oysters)
*legumes such as kidney and white beans, lentils and soybeans
*in almost all notes
*in bread
*in dried fruit, especially apricots and figs
*in certain vegetables, especially endive, artichoke, broccoli, zucchini, peas, grape leaves, purslane, tomato, turnip greens and salsify
Where is Vitamin B12?
*only in animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products
What is folic acid?
*especially in liver, asparagus, spinach, whole grains and legumes
What next for anemia?
How quickly you recover depends on the cause and severity of the anemia.
*When you start iron pills, then let your doctor check your blood after 4 weeks. Is hemoglobin (Hb) in your blood return to normal? Keep the iron pills than 8 to 12 weeks swallow. Thus, the iron stores in your body replenished.
*When you start taking folic acid tablets, let your doctor check your blood after 4 weeks. Is hemoglobin (Hb) in your blood return to normal? Keep it then swallow 6 to 12 weeks. After consultation with your doctor.
*If you start with tablets of vitamin B12? Then check the doctor after 4 weeks your blood. Is hemoglobin (Hb) in your blood return to normal? Keep it then swallow 4 to 6 weeks. After consultation with your doctor. Depending on the cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, you may need lifelong use the tablets.
*Do you have a gastrointestinal disease which lets you record? Insufficient vitamin B12 from food Then you need to further your life every day to take a tablet of 1000 micrograms of vitamin B12. If you can not swallow, for example, you will get vitamin B12 injections. You will receive every week or even every 3-4 days an injection. After 10 injections given once every 2 months injection.
Sometimes, further research is needed into the cause of the anemia. In that case, the doctor will discuss this with you.