Anemia and how to treat it

Anemia

Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen. If you have too few or abnormal red blood cells, or your hemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in your body will not get enough oxygen. Symptoms of anemia like fatigue occur because organs aren't getting what they need to function properly.

Anemia is the most common blood condition in the U.S. It affects about 3.5 million Americans. Women and people with chronic diseases are at increased risk of anemia.

Important factors to remember are:

• Certain forms of anemia are hereditary and infants may be affected from the time of birth.
• Women in the childbearing years are particularly susceptible to iron-deficiency anemia because of the blood loss from menstruation and the increased blood supply demands during pregnancy.
• Older adults also may have a greater risk of developing anemia because of poor diet and other medical conditions.

Symptoms

• Common symptoms are due to the reduced amount of oxygen in the body. These include tiredness, having little energy (lethargy), feeling faint, and becoming easily breathless.
• Less common symptoms include headaches, a thumping heart (palpitations), altered taste, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
• You may look pale.
• Various other symptoms may develop, depending on the underlying cause of the anaemia.

How can I know if I have Anemia?

The doctor will perform a physical examination. Because anemia may be the first symptom of a serious illness, determining its cause is very important.

Tests that may be done to diagnose anemia or rule out other causes include:

• Hemoglobin level
• Red blood count
• Reticulocyte count
• Serum ferritin
• Serum iron
• Other blood tests

Food That Cure Anemia

Fruits such as apples and tomatoes are great to eat when treating anemia. You can either eat apples or tomatoes; drink 100 percent pure apple and tomato juice to treat the condition. Also, fruits that effectively treat anaemia are plums, bananas, lemons, grapes, oranges, carrots when eaten in large quantities.

Honey is a potent source of iron, copper and manganese. When these elements are combined they aid in hemoglobin synthesis. Honey is therefore a powerful weapon against anemia. You can eat honey with slices of apples or bananas for iron and energy when treating anemia.

Red meat such as kidney, heart and liver are iron-rich and effective in treating the ailment. Poultry and fish are equally effective.

Spinach are not only rich in iron but also Vitamin B-12 and folic acid, energy boosting nutrients that the body needs to heal from anaemia. Beetroot is also an iron-rich vegetable juice that those suffering from anaemia can drink as a tonic against fatigue and lethargy.

Legumes and nuts such as pulses, almonds, whole grain cereals, dry dates, peanuts and walnuts are effective against the symptoms and causes of anaemia.

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