Weight loss, fatigue, low hemoglobin levels - these are all the main symptoms of anemia. The disease is now widespread among the population, occurs in both adults and children.
Most often the cause of anemia is some other ailment that contributes to the occurrence of iron deficiency in the blood. At the first symptoms, you need to urgently seek help from specialists. Treatment of anemia with folk remedies also gives good results, but only when it is supported by drug therapy.
We will talk about what contributes to the onset of the disease and how you can increase hemoglobin at home in our article.
What symptoms may indicate the development of anemia
In patients with iron deficiency in the body, as a rule, there is: blanching of the skin, dark (sometimes bluish) circles under the eyes, dull hair, thinning of the nail plates, pallor of the lips and gums.
If you have more than one of these signs, seek immediate medical attention. He will send you for examination,allowing to establish the degree of anemia and the possible causes of its occurrence.
When making a diagnosis, doctors use the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The anemia code in this list is D 50. It can be supplemented with the numbers 0, 1, 8, 9. They indicate the type of disease and factors contributing to its development.
In addition to the above symptoms, the following signs of anemia should alert you:
- constant weakness;
- frequent headaches;
- excessive sleepiness;
- tinnitus;
- dizziness;
- frequent nausea;
- stabbing pain in the chest area;
- vision problems;
- sluggishness;
- shortness of breath on light exertion;
- fainting.
Some patients note the desire to eat chalk, s alt, lime. If you have noticed such oddities behind you, it is quite possible that your hemoglobin level has decreased. In such cases, you should undergo an appropriate examination.
If you found anemia in your medical record (ICD-10 code - D 50), do not be upset. This ailment responds well to treatment, but only if the factors contributing to its occurrence are identified.
Causes of anemia
Among all the causes of anemia, the most common are:
- large blood loss;
- failure of the bone marrow (responsible for the release of red blood cells);
- shortage of essenti altrace elements;
- chronic diseases;
- infectious processes in the body;
- pregnancy period;
- presence of helminths in the body;
- poor diet (e.g. following a strict diet).
Anemia is most often diagnosed after surgery and blood loss due to injury. Internal bleeding can also contribute to the development of anemia. In this case, the treatment of anemia with folk remedies will be ineffective, since you first need to eliminate the underlying ailment.
How is anemia treated
Therapeutic actions for anemia are aimed at eliminating the causes of its development. First of all, the corresponding diseases are eliminated, measures are taken to stop blood loss.
If the lack of red cells in the blood is provoked by a banal lack of vitamins, therapy should begin with dietary adjustments. The patient is recommended to observe frequent meals (5-6 times a day). At the same time, nutrition should be balanced.
Food should be enriched with enough vitamins, iron-containing foods, proteins. In the treatment of the most common type of anemia (which occurs when there is an iron deficiency in the body), a diet is prescribed. With anemia, you need to eat high-calorie foods, spend more time in the fresh air and get more rest.
What foods should be in the patient's diet
A properly composed diet is the key to a quick recovery. Heshould include whole milk, butter, natural cream. Modern medicine recommends focusing on the use of corn and wheat porridge.
Products for anemia should contain a large amount of protein. This requirement is met by all food of animal origin. This includes all types of meat, fish, offal, chicken eggs, all seafood and milk.
Yellow and orange fruits are of particular value for patients with anemia. Namely:
- apricots;
- dried apricots;
- persimmon;
- apples;
- pears;
- sea buckthorn;
- pepper (yellow varieties);
- pumpkin;
- citrus;
- exotic fruits (mango, papaya).
Treatment of anemia with folk remedies involves the use of large amounts of greens (celery, dill, parsley, onion), zucchini, squash, raisins, cucumbers, walnuts, carrots, potatoes. Cranberries, currants, viburnum, cherries have a positive effect on hemoglobin. Also included in this list is honey of dark varieties. It is high in iron and protein.
Juices
The diet of an anemia patient includes a large amount of natural juices. For anemia, they are prescribed in large quantities.
Pomegranate juice takes the first place in terms of efficiency. You need to drink it very carefully, as a concentrated drink negatively affects the stomach. For this reason, it should be diluted with warm water. If taking pomegranate concentrate does not make yousymptoms, drink half a glass of it before each meal.
Beet juice helps speed up the formation of red blood cells. Its daily dose is 0.5 cups. This volume should be divided into several meals. The course of treatment with such a "medicine" is about 4 weeks. However, this period can be extended.
Good results are achieved by drinking a mixture of beet, carrot and radish juices. Potato juice also helps to increase hemoglobin. It should be drunk 200 ml three times a day. All drinks are recommended to be consumed 30-40 minutes before meals.
About the benefits of buckwheat
Buckwheat is considered one of the most affordable and effective methods of combating anemia. It contains a huge amount of iron, ascorbic and folic acid. These trace elements contribute to the rapid renewal of the blood composition and improve the absorption of vitamins by the body.
The use of buckwheat for anemia allows you to quickly normalize skin color and improve the patient's well-being. Buckwheat and kefir porridge is considered a real storehouse of vitamins.
To prepare such a dish, the cereal should be poured with warm kefir and left overnight in the refrigerator. By morning, the porridge will absorb the liquid and will be ready to eat. You can add a spoonful of honey to the finished dish.
Add walnuts to your food
Walnuts for anemia are recommended very often. They are rich in a large amount of minerals, enriched with vitamins A, E, F, B2 and thiamine. Besides,their kernels are rich in protein, so eating nuts is very important for anemia.
Add nuts to cereals and vegetable salads. This will help you quickly cope with anemia. However, remember that this product can cause allergies. It is also contraindicated in people with skin diseases and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Don't forget about the beneficial properties of the liver
From the lips of connoisseurs of traditional medicine, you can often hear that pork and beef blood, raw meat helps to increase hemoglobin in record time. Do not follow such advice. They can and will help to increase the number of blood cells in the blood, however, they will additionally enrich your body with various parasites.
Anemia can be overcome with safer methods. These include the use of pork and beef liver. In case of anemia, special recipes for preparing these products should be used.
The liver should not be treated for a long time. It is easy enough to fry the pieces on both sides and simmer them with onions over low heat for about 5-7 minutes. As a result, you will receive a safe and very useful product.
Drink milk with garlic
If your blood pressure has dropped due to anemia, this recipe will be very useful for you. It is also suitable for combating drowsiness, general weakness and excessive fatigue.
Take 250 ml of milk and squeeze 3 cloves of garlic into it. Bringmixture to a boil and take 30 ml three times a day. Many may not like this drink, but it gives good results.
Phytotherapy for anemia
The treatment of anemia with folk remedies has repeatedly proven its effectiveness. In the list of such recipes, one of the first places is occupied by herbal medicine. Collections of medicinal herbs can treat anemia of varying degrees and etiologies.
For therapeutic purposes, you can use one of the following recipes:
- Mix equal proportions of rose hips, chamomile flowers, celandine, nettle leaves, mint and alfalfa. Grind all the ingredients and mix in one collection. Next, pour 3 tablespoons of the resulting composition with 2.5 cups of boiling water. Let the collection brew for about 2 hours. Strain the decoction and take it within one day. The course of treatment is 3-4 months.
- The leaves of the aloe plant will help to establish the process of blood formation and improve the condition of the whole organism. They need to be crushed and poured with red wine. The medicine is infused for 10 hours, after which 3 tablespoons are taken before each meal.
- Mix equal parts (about 2 handfuls) of hawthorn, peppermint and strawberry leaves. Add 20 grams of dandelion rhizomes, chicory roots, horsetail, meadow clover, elecampane, rose hips, St. John's wort and nettle leaves to the mixture. Pour 2 cups of boiling water into 15 grams of the collection and leave for half an hour. Collection strain and drink instead of tea after each meal.
Important! Phytotherapy also has somecontraindications. Before starting treatment, consult your doctor. What herbs to drink for anemia in your case, only a specialist can say.
And now a little about the peculiarities of nutrition.
Features of the diet for anemia
As mentioned earlier, nutrition for anemia should be very high in calories. The nutritional value of meals is maintained at a high level.
Diet for anemia implies compliance with the following scheme:
- daily protein intake is about 120 grams;
- daily fat intake - 40 grams;
- carbohydrates - 450 grams.
The total calorie content of all meals that you eat per day should be at least 3000-2500 kcal.
Remember that iron is better absorbed by the body with sufficient vitamin C intake. Ascorbic acid should be one of the main components of your diet.
An example of a balanced menu for anemia
If you do not know what dishes to diversify your diet, use this example of a weekly menu. It will help you understand which foods are most beneficial for anemia.
Day 1:
- breakfast: millet porridge and fruit, rosehip broth;
- second breakfast: vinaigrette;
- lunch: borscht with sour cream, pork steak, coleslaw;
- snack: juice with biscuits;
- dinner: potatoes with meat, black tea with lemon.
Day 2:
- breakfast: liver pâté sandwich, boiled egg, yogurt;
- secondbreakfast: baked apple;
- lunch: cabbage soup, boiled rice, chicken, compote;
- snack: pomegranate juice;
- dinner: boiled or aspic fish, potatoes, tea.
Day 3:
- breakfast: oatmeal with fruit, milk;
- second breakfast: banana;
- lunch: chicken broth soup, vegetable stew, meat, apple juice;
- snack: cottage cheese with sour cream;
- dinner: coleslaw, meatballs, lemon tea.
Day 4:
- breakfast: cheesecakes, honey, compote;
- second breakfast: fresh berries;
- lunch: pickle, fish and potatoes, natural jelly;
- snack: cookies, apple juice;
- dinner: pasta with grated cheese, tea with lemon.
Day 5:
- breakfast: cottage cheese casserole, berries, juice;
- second breakfast: apple jelly;
- lunch: fish soup, liver with vegetables, compote;
- snack: fruit biscuit;
- dinner: coleslaw, meatballs, tea.
Day 6:
- breakfast: buckwheat, sausage, tea;
- second breakfast: walnuts;
- lunch: meat soup with rice, liver with vegetables, prunes;
- snack: apple or pear;
- dinner: chicken cutlet, beetroot salad, tea.
Day 7:
- breakfast: scrambled eggs, tomatoes, cranberry drink;
- second breakfast: fruit salad;
- lunch: pea soup, pasta with meat, fruit juice;
- snack: cottage cheese with fruits;
- dinner: fish pie, vegetable salad, rosehip broth.
Eat small snacks between meals. Citrus fruits, fruits and fresh juices are suitable for these purposes.
Conclusions
Anemia is a rather unpleasant disease, but it is easily eliminated. To do this, you need to turn to specialists in time and pay attention to your diet. Do not rely only on the experience of friends and acquaintances. Many diseases can cause anemia. Folk recipes may not help you if you do not supplement them with adequate drug treatment.
