للمحبي الإطلاع على أهم الأمراض التي تسود في المنطقة سوف اقوم نشر بعض الأفكار المختصرة وإليكم نبذة مختصرة عن الأنيمياء
What is anemia?
Anemia happens when your blood doesn't have enough hemoglobin (he-mo-GLOBE-in). Hemoglobin helps red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body.
What causes anemia?
There are many types of anemia, all with different causes:
· Iron deficiency anemia (IDA). IDA is the most common type of anemia. IDA happens when you don't have enough iron in your body. You need iron to make hemoglobin. This can happen when you lose blood from problems like heavy periods, ulcers, colon polyps, or colon cancer. A diet that doesn't have enough iron in it can also cause IDA. Pregnancy can also cause IDA if there's not enough iron for the mother and fetus. You can get iron from foods like ground beef, clams, spinach, lentils, baked potato with skin, sunflower seeds, and cashews.
· Megaloblastic (or vitamin deficiency) anemia. This most often happens when your body doesn't get enough folic acid or vitamin B-12. These vitamins help your body keep healthy blood and a healthy nervous system. With this type of anemia, your body makes red blood cells that can't deliver oxygen right. Folic acid supplements (pills) can treat this type of anemia. You can also get folic acid in beans and legumes; citrus fruits and juices; wheat bran and other whole grains; dark green leafy vegetables; and poultry, pork, shellfish, and liver. Sometimes, with this disease, your health care provider may not realize you're not getting enough B-12. This usually happens to someone with pernicious anemia, a type of autoimmune disease. B-12 deficiency may also be more common in people with other autoimmune diseases, like Crohn's disease. Not getting enough B-12 can cause numbness in your legs and feet, problems walking, memory loss, and problems seeing. The treatment depends on the cause. But you may need to get B-12 shots or take special B-12 pills.
· Underlying diseases. Certain diseases can hurt the body's ability to make red blood cells. For example, people with kidney disease, especially those getting dialysis (takes out wastes from your blood if your kidneys can't), are at higher risk for developing anemia. Their kidneys can't create enough hormones to make blood cells, and iron is lost in dialysis.
· Inherited blood disease. If you have a blood disease in your family, there is a higher risk that you will also have this disease. One type of inherited blood disease is sickle cell anemia. Instead of having normal red blood cells that move through blood vessels easily, sickle cells are hard and have a curved edge. These cells cannot squeeze through small blood vessels and block the organs from getting blood. Your body destroys sickle red cells quickly, but it can't make new red blood cells fast enough. This causes anemia. Another inherited blood disease is thalassemia. It happens when the body is missing certain genes or when variant (different from normal) genes are passed down from parents that affect how the body makes hemoglobin.
· Thalassemia, which usually affects people of Meditrranean, African and Southeast Asian descent, is marked by abnormal and short-lived cells.Thalassemia major, also called Cooley’s anemia, is a severe form of anemia in which red blood cells are rapidly destroyed and iron is deposited in the skin and vital organs. Thalassemia minor involves only mild anemia minimal red blood cell changes.
· Sickle cell anemia. Is a severe form of anemia found almost exclusively in people
African heritage, although it may also affect those of Caucasian, Saudi Arabian, Indian and Mediterranean descent. In this conditon, the hemoglobin forms long rods when it gives up its oxgen, stretching red blood cells into abnormal sickle shapes. This results in premature destruction of red blood cells, chornically low levels of hemoglobin, and redurring episodes of pain. About one out of every 500 african-Amarican children is born with this form of anemia.
· Aplastic anemia. This rare problem happens when your body doesn't make enough red blood cells. Since this affects the white blood cells too, there is a higher risk for infections and bleeding that can't be stopped. This can be caused by many things:
cancer treatments (radiation or chemotherapy)
exposure to toxic chemicals (like those used in some insecticides, paint, and household cleaners)
some drugs (like those that treat rheumatoid arthritis)
autoimmune diseases (like lupus)
viral infection that affects bone marrow o bone marrow diseases
What are the signs of anemia?
Anemia takes some time to develop. In the beginning, you may not have any signs or they may be mild. But as it gets worse, you may have these symptoms:
What's the treatment for anemia?
It depends on the cause of the anemia. For example, treatment for sickle cell anemia is different than treatment for a diet low in iron or folic acid. Talk to your HCP about the best treatment for the cause of your anemia.
Take these steps to help prevent some types of anemia:
green, leafy vegetables, like spinach and broccoli o tofu o cereal with iron in it (iron-fortified)
Eat/drink foods that help your body absorb iron, like orange juice, strawberries, broccoli, or other fruits and vegetables with vitamin C.
Don't drink coffee or tea with meals. These drinks make it harder for your body to absorb iron.
Calcium can hurt your absorption of iron. If you have a hard time getting enough iron, talk to your health care provider about the best way to get enough calcium too.
Make sure you get enough folic acid and vitamin B-12 in your diet.
Talk to your HCP about taking iron pills (supplements). Do NOT take these pills without talking to your health care provider first. These pills come in two forms: ferrous and ferric. The ferrous form is better absorbed by your body. But taking iron pills can cause side effects, like nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. Reduce these side effects by taking these steps:
Start with half of the recommended dose. Gradually increase to the full dose.
Take the pill in divided doses.
Take the pill with food.
If one type of iron pill is causing problems, ask your HCP for another brand.
If you are a non-pregnant woman of childbearing age, get tested for anemia every 5 to 10 years. This can be done during a regular health exam. Testing should start in adolescence.
If you are a non-pregnant woman of childbearing age with these risk factors for iron deficiency, get tested every year:
heavy periods
low iron intake
previous diagnosis of anemia
How much iron do I need every day?
Most people get enough iron through a regular healthy diet that has iron-rich foods. But some groups of people don't get enough iron:
teenage girls/women of childbearing age (who have heavy menstrual losses, who have had more than one child, or use an intrauterine device [IUD])
older infants and toddlers
pregnant women
These groups of people should be screened periodically for iron deficiency. If the tests show that the body isn't getting enough iron, iron supplements may be prescribed. Many health care providers prescribe iron supplements during pregnancy because many pregnant women don't get enough. They can help when diet alone can't restore the iron level back to normal. Talk with your HCP to find out if you are getting enough iron through your diet or if you or your child needs to be taking iron supplements. Please see to the chart below to see how many milligrams (mg) of iron you should take every day
Age
Infants & Children
Women
Pregnant
Breastfeeding
7 to 12 months
11 mg
1 to 3 years
7 mg
4 to 8 years
10 mg
9 to13 years
8 mg
27 mg
10 mg
14 to18 years
15 mg
27 mg
10 mg
19 to 50 years
18 mg
27 mg
9 mg
51+ years
8 mg
