Have tired and sleepy at all hours? Anemia is a blood disorder that more and more people suffer from. This occurs when the number of red blood cells is lower than normal or when the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood is low. Anemia can often lead to more serious disease that develops due to the presence of any of these factors: Excessive blood loss or bleeding, insufficient production of red blood cells, or excessive destruction of red blood cells.
The anemia symptoms These may include, but are not limited to, the following: abnormal paleness or loss of skin color, rapid heart rate or rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath or dyspnea, lack of energy or undue tiredness, dizziness or dizziness, headaches, irritability, absence or delayed menstruation, slow wound healing.
These symptoms may resemble other symptoms of other blood disorders or medical problems. As anemia can be associated with another disease, it is important that you see your doctor as soon as you have the first symptoms. He will be the one to diagnose you.
More things to know about anemia
La anemia it is a condition that develops when the blood does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. The hemoglobin is a main part of blood cells and binds to oxygen. If you have anemia, your cells will not be receiving enough oxygen and that is why you will feel one of the common symptoms of anemia which is tiredness or fatigue (and this happens because the organs are not receiving everything they need to function properly).
Today many millions of people suffer from anemia around the world. Women, young children, and people with chronic diseases may be most at risk for it.
Why does anemia occur?
It is necessary to take into account some important factors that can cause anemia disease to develop. The factors that you should take into account are the following:
- There are certain forms of anemia that they are hereditary and that babies can be affected at birth, having to be seen immediately by the hospital's medical staff.
- Women of childbearing age They are susceptible to iron deficiency anemia due to blood loss that occurs during menstruation.
- A pregnant woman can also be susceptible to suffer from anemia due to the frequent demands of iron that the fetus requires in order to develop.
- Older adults They may also be at increased risk for anemia due to poor diet and other medical conditions.
Symptoms of anemia
There are several symptoms that anemia can leave us. It will always depend on each person, but above all, on the severity of the disease itself.
Because I'm so tired?
Because it is one of the great symptoms of this disease. Unexplained tiredness can lead to thinking that we have anemia. When there is not enough hemoglobin in the blood, that is, the protein or iron that we find in red blood cells, the body makes it known to us in this way. If you wonder, Why am I so sleepy?, now you know why. Tiredness leaves the body inappetent and because of this, sleep will take over.
Dizziness and headaches
It must be said that when a person feels dizzy, it is not always the fault of anemia. Dizziness can come from numerous other causes. The same goes for headaches. But it is true that when both are combined and also, we feel the fatigue that we mentioned before, they will already be giving us many clues. This happens because the heart has to work much harder Than it already does, pumping the blood
Cold in hands and feet
It is also another of the symptoms of anemia. It is not something specific, but as we say, it has to happen on a regular basis. In the same way as the pale skin it also adds to complete this feeling of cold in the body.
Difficulty breathing
It does not always happen and it is one of the most serious symptoms. The difficulty breathing Or, the sensation of shortness of breath, added to the body with a lot of fatigue is another factor to take into account.
Brittle nails
Having iron deficiencyWe can also notice it on the nails. These will become more brittle. We will notice their weakness and that they break in a simpler way.
There are many types of anemia
Not all anemia is the same, but there are many types of anemia and they can be very different in causes and also in the ways that they would need to be treated.
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common and it is treatable and curable with dietary changes and iron supplements. Other anemias such as the one that occurs in pregnancy can be considered normal. However, there are other types of anemias that can be dangerous to health and can even endanger the life of the person suffering from this disorder.
Different anemias and their causes
Anemia caused by blood loss
In this case red blood cells are lost through bleeding It can occur slowly over a long period of time and may even go undetected. This type of chronic bleeding can occur due to gastrointestinal disorders, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, menstruation or childbirth.
Anemia caused by red blood cell deficiency
With this type of anemia, the body produces few red blood cells and the blood cells do not work properly. In any case, anemia is the most common result. Red blood cells may be defective or decrease production due to lack of minerals or vitamins needed for red blood cells. This type of anemia can occur from: sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin deficiencies, problems with the bone marrow, or other health conditions.
Sickle cell anemia
This type of anemia is an inherited disorder that affects many people. Red blood cells become crescent-shaped due to a genetic defect, so break down quickly and oxygen does not reach the organs of the body causing anemia. Crescent-shaped red blood cells can also cause pain when trapped between blood vessels.
Iron deficiency anemia
This type of anemia occurs due to a lack of iron in the body. The bone marrow in the center of the bone needs iron to make hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body's organs. If the person does not have adequate iron, the body will not be able to make enough hemoglobin and the result is anemia due to lack of iron. This type of anemia is usually caused by a low iron diet (especially in babies, children, adolescents, vegans and vegetarians), pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation, too frequent blood donation, Chron's disease, certain medications, poor diet, etc.
Anemia due to lack of vitamins
Anemia too it can occur from a lack of vitamin B12 and folic acid. These two vitamins are necessary to produce red blood cells and if they are not produced, anemia due to deficiency of these vitamins appears. These anemias include: megaloblastic anemia (deficiency of vitamin B12 or folic acid), pernicious anemia (malabsorption of vitamin B12), a deficiency in the diet, or other causes.
If you have anemia or you think you may have it, it is necessary that you go to your doctor regularly so that he can evaluate your situation and that he can also treat you in such a way that that iron deficiency that you have is solved and you can feel better. Although it is a long process, anemia is curable.
If you feel like tired and sleepy at all hours, anemia may be the cause of the problem.
What should we do to prevent anemia?
In this case, you can take iron supplements that you will find in pharmacies or herbalists. Although you can also get carried away by a iron rich diet. For this, both meat and seafood are vital sources of this mineral. Among the legumes, lentils stand out, without forgetting green leafy vegetables. That is why spinach or broccoli have to be part of the daily dishes on our menu. Vitamin C is essential for prevent anemia, as well as vitamin B12 that you can find in salmon, eggs, clams or trout.
Of course, it is also important to know that not all types of anemia can be prevented thanks to diet. This happens when there is a disease in the blood that causes our body does not make enough red blood cells. In these cases, medical help is vital to be able to treat the disease.
Consequences of anemia
One of the consequences of anemia is arrhythmias. They do not always happen, but you have to take them into account. At first they do not have to be anything serious. But over time, they could cause further damage to the heart. In addition, anemia itself can also cause problems in other organs and not only in the heart because not enough oxygen reaches them. In addition, in sick people it can cause them to generate more infections.
In the same way, it is also dangerous for pregnant women, since it can contribute to malnutrition both in them and in babies and that they are born with low weight.
Anemia Treatments
As we have mentioned before, there is not only a treatment against anemia. It will always depend on the types of it.
- Supplements: One of the treatments for anemia is to take iron supplements, as well as folic acid or vitamin B12.
- Pharmaceutical products: On the other hand, we have to get to the medicines, which our doctor will prescribe for us. In this case, they are the ones that will suppress the immune system.
- To help bone marrow To get more cells, you can also use the so-called Erythropoietin. Naturally, it is the kidney that is responsible for producing it in our body, as well as the liver. It is considered a stimulating factor when the body does not generate it. So, this treatment will be given in patients with chronic kidney disease.
- Blood transfusionsWhen we are already talking about bigger problems, you can resort to transfusions as a treatment for anemia.
- Surgeries: When there is a severe hemolytic anemia, surgery can be used to remove the spleen.