- What is anemia?
- What are your causes?
- 10 Common consequences of anemia
- Feeling tired
- Premature delivery and low birth weight
- Stunted growth
- Poor performance in school
- Low defenses
- Pallor
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Tachycardia and arrhythmias
- Brittle nails
- How is it diagnosed?
- Treatments
Anemia is a condition suffered by more than 1.6 billion people around the world, according to data from the WHO (World Health Organization). This means that almost a quarter of the world's population suffers from it, being more frequent in children.
It can have very negative consequences on child development, especially if it occurs in pregnant women or young children. In adults, the negative effects can also be very serious.
That is why it is important to know what it is, what its symptoms are, its causes and what its consequences may be, in order to detect the problem in time and solve it as soon as possible.
What is anemia?
The blood that runs through the veins and arteries contains millions of red blood cells. These globules have inside a protein called hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to all tissues.
Anemia occurs when the level of hemoglobin present in red blood cells is below the normal level.
There are many possible causes, but the most common is a lack of iron (iron deficiency anemia). Iron is a fundamental mineral for the production of hemoglobin
What are your causes?
Iron deficiency anemia is possible for a number of reasons, the most common of which are:
- Nutritional deficiency The person does not eat enough iron to make the necessary amount of hemoglobin.
- Blood loss Heavy periods or loss of blood through the intestine are also a common cause.
- Poor intestinal absorption. In some people, such as celiac patients, iron ingested from food is not absorbed into the bloodstream due to an intestinal problem.
10 Common consequences of anemia
As mentioned above, anemia can have very serious health consequences. These are the ten most important:
Feeling tired
People who suffer from it tend to feel more tired than normal, with a lack of energy, especially when they exercise.
If you feel tired all the time and you have to make an effort to carry out daily tasks that you previously completed without problems, perhaps you could have it.
Premature delivery and low birth weight
Pregnant women are an especially important risk group. During pregnancy, the baby's iron stores can decrease, increasing the chances that he will suffer from this condition during childhood.
On the other hand, anemia in pregnant women has been linked to an increased risk of preterm birth and also increases the risk of the baby having low birth weight.
Stunted growth
Children who suffer from it may suffer a delay in their weight growth, that is, they are children whose increase in height and weight may not be normal and be below expectations.
It is for this reason that in many countries infants are given an iron supplement during their first months of life, as breast milk probably does not contain the amounts of iron they need.
Poor performance in school
On the other hand, in children it can affect their school performance. It can cause problems with concentration and attention, difficulty thinking and reasoning and therefore the child can have serious learning problems.
Low defenses
Several studies have shown that it can lower defenses, increase the risk of infection and reduce resistance to disease.
Pallor
Another consequence is pale skin and mucous membranes. This is often the most prominent symptom. If the inside of a person's eyelids is very pale pink and the skin appears lack of color, they could have this condition.
Headache
When the hemoglobin level is below normal, less oxygen reaches all the organs of the body. A shortage of oxygen in the brain can cause a headache.
Dizziness
Dizziness, together with the feeling of fatigue, can also be a consequence of the lack of oxygen in the tissues, caused by anemia.
Tachycardia and arrhythmias
In an effort to get the little oxygen available to all systems, an anemic person's heart beats faster than normal, and in some cases arrhythmias can occur.
Brittle nails
This is another of the possible consequences. Weak nails, which chip easily, could be giving away their presence, although there are also other causes for brittle nails, such as hypothyroidism for example.
How is it diagnosed?
Anemia can be easily diagnosed through a simple blood test called a hemogram. In the blood count, the red blood cells are counted and the level of hemoglobin in the blood is measured.
If this is below normal, then there is anemia.
Treatments
The treatment that should be carried out depends on what the cause is. Always keep in mind that anemia is not a disease in itself, but a symptom of an underlying problem.
In the case of nutritional deficiency iron deficiency anemia, your doctor may recommend iron supplements to take by mouth or as intravenous medications.
In general, it is also recommended to have an adequate diet that includes foods rich in iron, such as meat, lentils, liver, spinach and tomato, among others. Likewise, it is important to lead a lifestyle that maintains high defenses.
If it is caused by heavy bleeding, in addition to iron supplements and proper diet, the doctor must find the cause of the bleeding and the solution to it.
The same happens in the case of people who suffer from intestinal absorption problems. The cause of the problem and the solution must be sought so that the anemia does not reappear.