Nutritional anemia, the ICD-10 code of which is D64, goes through several stages of development, and first of all, poor appetite or its almost complete absence signals its onset. This deviation is due to the fact that the diet was compiled incorrectly, and the body did not adequately receive a certain amount of trace elements. But at the same time, physical activity and emotional stability are preserved, there is no breakdown. We will talk in more detail about the causes, symptoms and treatment of anemia in the article.
Reasons
The main causes of the disease are:
- hypovitaminosis and hypervitaminosis;
- HIV infection;
- granulomatosis;
- deficiency in the body of iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 - all these substances are participants in the formation of red blood cells;
- thalassemia;
- bad habits drinking alcohol, smoking;
- gynecological diseases - uterine leiomyoma, endometrial hyperplasia, strong menstruation, uterinebleeding;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract erosion, ulcers, hemorrhoids;
- shortening the lifespan of red blood cells, the so-called hemolysis, congenital or acquired, which occurs as a result of poisoning of the body;
- oppression or depletion of the bone marrow;
- oncological diseases;
- worm infestations;
- in very rare cases, hereditary anemia is also possible;
- frequent nosebleeds of various nature;
- surgical intervention with a large loss of blood.
Blood loss can be visible or obvious, with chronic diseases or women's diseases.
People who are very frequent blood donors are at risk of developing nutritional anemia.
In some regions of the world, bloodletting is used to treat certain diseases, and almost everyone who has undergone this procedure has developed anemia.
The use of anticoagulants can also be a possible cause. The main thing is to follow the blood tests from the finger so that anemia does not develop.
Causes of illness in pregnant women
What can provoke:
- consequences of malnutrition (anorexia, not eating meat in any form);
- chronic diseases - rheumatism, various heart defects, liver disease (hepatitis), kidney disease (pyelonephritis);
- ailments that are accompanied by frequent nosebleeds;
- burdened obstetric and gynecological history –many births, spontaneous miscarriages or abortions, toxemia from early pregnancy, young primiparous (less than 17), primiparous over 35;
- pregnancy bleeding history;
- premature placental abruption.
Factors for the development of pathology in babies
The causes of nutritional anemia in children are as follows:
- children of school and preschool age due to the intensive growth of the body;
- monotonous food, which lacks iron, protein, fat;
- low absorption of iron by the stomach;
- lack of ascorbic acid, vitamin B12, copper;
- disturbed intestinal microflora in formula-fed children;
- intoxication of the body by various pathogens.
Symptoms
Signs of illness:
- pale skin;
- limited physical activity, muscle weakness;
- visible loss of muscle mass, especially this pathology is evident in boys during puberty;
- increased body weight, obesity may even develop (a special difference between the alimentary species is a large saggy belly);
- erythrocyte count is still normal, but hemoglobin is low.
In this type of anemia, the internal organs are usually not enlarged or may increase very slightly. Changes in the consistency of feces. They are very reminiscentclay and very dry. If the disease has passed into a severe stage, then the symptoms become as follows:
- The liver and spleen are now significantly enlarged, as are the lymph nodes.
- More pale skin.
- The cardiovascular system suffers significantly. First of all, the heartbeat quickens, the heart rhythm is disturbed, pains appear in the chest and in the region of the heart, and low blood pressure worries. The doctor can determine functional heart and vascular murmurs.
- Fever occurs periodically.
- The number of erythrocytes is falling, but does not cross the mark of 3 million. The pronounced form of the disease is characterized by the appearance of nuclear forms of erythrocytes. Nutritional anemia can also be diagnosed by doing a blood test in the laboratory to determine the level of hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells.
Since young children are often susceptible to this disease, attention should be paid if they develop the following symptoms:
- febrile states appear;
- diarrhea increased;
- all signs of dystrophy appear;
- during the examination, blood clotting is detected;
- skin is pale.
Diagnosis in this case must be made carefully, as it may be false anemia, and pale skin is a sign of deep capillaries.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of nutritional anemia (iron deficiency)carried out by specialists in several stages:
- the mechanism that affects the decrease in the level of hemoglobin in human blood is determined;
- identify the causes of the disease that underlie the iron deficiency syndrome;
- a complex of laboratory studies is being carried out and the results are being deciphered.
To establish a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to know that the level of iron in the blood depends and may vary depending on which gender and age group the patient belongs to. The process of diagnosing alimentary anemia in humans includes several stages. Let's talk about them in more detail.
At the first stage, it is necessary to conduct a general clinical analysis of blood from a finger (determination of hemoglobin level). This is followed by a complete examination, which will show the state of the patient's bone marrow. In the third step, a blood sample is taken for biochemistry. The fourth stage of the examination includes the study of the state of the gastrointestinal tract. This helps to detect helminths, which can also be the cause of anemia. The fifth stage is only for women - a gynecological examination by a specialist. And at the final stage, you need to consult with a hematologist who can determine possible disorders of the circulatory system.
Medicated treatment
Drug treatment of iron deficiency in the body is prescribed to the patient after diagnosis and official diagnosis. If the disease is confirmed, then the patient should, in addition to all other courses of treatment, take the necessarydrugs that act on the focus of the disease, and adhere to a diet for better absorption of drugs. In general, medicines for this disease are based on the replenishment of iron in the patient's body. Also, medicines increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood to the desired norm. Most of the preparations, except for iron, contain in their composition some groups of vitamins, which allow to significantly improve the state of he alth and the complete assimilation of the components. All drugs necessary for treatment can be prescribed exclusively by the attending physician, because anemia is a serious disease, during which the condition only gets worse, and in more advanced cases, the disease can threaten a person's life.
During the treatment of anemia, medication is mandatory, because with the help of them the necessary level of iron in the blood is quickly replenished. Since the body is not able to synthesize individual elements, therefore, it receives it with food. But in this case, all the necessary components contained in food are not fully absorbed. For example, of all the necessary components in meat, a person receives only 1/3, and from fruits and vegetables - 2/3. Thanks to drugs that can exceed all of the above indicators up to 20 times, recovery comes faster.
Medical treatment uses drugs based on:
- ferrous;
- trivalent.
All iron preparations with low bivalent hemoglobin are biologically more accessible to the human body, due to which they are almost completely absorbed. Allmedications, which are based on the second type, are made taking into account all the latest technologies, which makes it possible to reduce the risk of side effects. For faster and better absorption, antioxidants are added to anti-anemia preparations. Most often, this role lies with ascorbic acid.
The only negative factor of these medicines is their high price. All used iron preparations with low hemoglobin, once in the intestinal environment, bind to transferrins. Transferrins ensure that the necessary components are carried to all hematopoietic organs. Due to the fact that some products used with drugs can reduce absorption, doctors prescribe the necessary diet to the patient, which must be followed throughout the treatment process.
In addition to simple medicines, injections are also used, which are carried out only in the hospital. This method is used only in severe cases of the disease. If there are problems with the intestines or stomach, then in order to avoid aggravating the situation, an intramuscular method of administering drugs is used.
Folk treatment
With a lack of iron in the body, you must use the following recipes and herbal infusions. When taken for more than a month, it is recommended to take an analysis, if the composition of the blood has not changed, the treatment should be stopped. For oral administration, you need to prepare the following medicine:
- Take one each carrot, dark radish and beetroot. These vegetables need to be peeled, then grated, squeeze the juice from each vegetable, that's it.mix in one container and put in the oven for three hours at a low temperature. After preparation, drink one tablespoon in the morning, afternoon and evening.
- Medicine from wormwood: you need to take wormwood grown in May, one liter of vodka needs one hundred grams of wormwood. Put in a dark cold place, after three weeks have passed, drink five drops.
- To replenish the body with iron, you need an apple and pomegranate, carrot and lemon. All components are taken in the same amount, only the pomegranate needs twice as much. Squeeze out the juice from them and add seventy grams of honey, pour into a glass jar and keep in the refrigerator for two days, then drink two tablespoons in the morning, afternoon and evening.
- Infusion of meadow clover. Ten grams of herbs in a glass of boiling water, pour, wait 45 minutes and drink two tablespoons in the morning and evening.
- Medicine from fat. Take 400 grams, melt, add one chopped apple to it and put all this mass in the oven for one hour. Next, mix twelve yolks from eggs of domestic chickens with a glass of sugar, rub 400 grams of chocolate here. Now mix everything and send it to the refrigerator. The resulting mixture is eaten as a sandwich with bread in the morning, afternoon and evening.
- It will take one tablespoon of rose hips, pour a glass of boiling water in a thermos, wait eight hours, drink three times a day.
- Berries as medicine. We need black currants, strawberries and red ashberries, make juice out of them. Mix and drink in the morning and in the evening half a glass.
- Infusion of garlic. Three hundred grams of garlic pour one literalcohol, before that the product is finely chopped. The tincture should stand in a dark, cold place for three weeks, then drink one teaspoon three times a day.
- Take three homemade egg yolks, mix with a tablespoon of honey, add one glass of red wine and drink in the morning on an empty stomach, then do not have breakfast. You need to be treated for 14 days.
Each of the above funds should be drunk in the form of courses, the minimum course is two weeks. After taking this folk remedy, it is necessary to check the blood counts, if there are no changes, apply another remedy.
Food
When a low hemoglobin level is detected in a blood test, doctors make a diagnosis - alimentary (iron deficiency) anemia, and prescribe a therapeutic diet. If you adhere to these appointments, then the level of iron in the blood can normalize. First of all, harmful foods are excluded from the daily diet and amendments are made, which are appointed by a specialist.
The basics of dietary nutrition with a lack of iron in the body are as follows:
- You should increase your daily protein intake. It is proteins that help carry out the process of iron absorption, form red blood cells and hemoglobin in human blood.
- Fats can reduce the natural process of blood circulation in the body, so in the daily diet it is necessary to reduce the amount of food ingredients that are rich in these organic elements.
- If this disease causes a symptom such as constipation, it is recommended to exclude products from the dietfoods that contain coarse fiber.
- Cooking diet meals should be steamed, stewed or boiled. Such manipulations best preserve all the useful properties of the products.
- If this disease is associated with allergic pathologies, then the first step is to identify the main allergen. Further, all foods containing the detected element, as well as spicy, s alty, spicy, fatty and fried foods are excluded from the diet.
- With anemia, it is strictly forbidden to use strict diets.
- The nutrition of the patient should be complete and balanced.
- Eat often and in small portions.
- Also, specialists are forbidden to use separate meals, as this can further aggravate the patient's he alth.
Prevention
Prophylactic measures to prevent alimentary anemia are, first of all, a balanced diet, the inclusion in the diet of foods that necessarily contain a large percentage of iron. This item:
- regulates and restores the required level of iron in the circulatory system without harming the gastrointestinal tract;
- supports the body's defenses;
- prevents anemia.
Also important:
- Vitamin C, which helps better absorption of iron.
- Calcium. It maintains good permeability of cell membranes, and especially capillaries. Positive effect on neuromuscular activity.
- Phosphorus. Helps vitamins to be better absorbed.
To prevent the development of alimentary anemia, it is necessary to donate blood twice a year for laboratory testing. If there is a suspicion that the disease is manifesting, the doctor may prescribe a therapeutic course of iron-containing agents. Some other study may be prescribed if iron is poorly absorbed by the body. Often this disease is preceded by others, for example, hemorrhoids, uterine fibroids, stomach ulcers. Therefore, it is necessary first of all to identify the disease that causes iron deficiency. Prevention requires proper nutrition that satisfies the daily need for iron:
- women consume up to 20 mg of this substance daily;
- men - up to 15 mg.
Foods high in iron are meats and fish, oatmeal and baked potatoes, nuts (hazelnuts and almonds), dried apricots and figs, raisins and beans.
Consequences
Chronic lack of iron in the human body can lead to a deterioration in his he alth. It can cause a number of symptoms that can seriously aggravate the general condition of the patient and reduce his performance due to constant fatigue. Such a diagnosis can affect people of different ages and gender. Here is what can provoke this ailment:
- With a deficiency of hemoglobin, the system of oxygen supply to blood cells is disrupted. Human immunity is weakened, as a result of which the risk of contracting infectious diseases increases.
- In case of iron deficiency, the patient's skin may be affected (eczema and other skin pathologies). Mucous membranes throughout the body are also at risk.
- With this diagnosis, the likelihood of contracting various intestinal infections and acute respiratory diseases doubles.
- Impaired blood pressure and tachycardia may also occur.
- If this disease affects expectant mothers, then this can lead to the risk of developing certain pathologies in the baby.
- If iron deficiency affects children, then there may be a possibility of mental retardation and deterioration of their psycho-emotional state.
The level of hemoglobin in a person's blood is one of the most important indicators of the he alth of his body. Timely identification of symptoms and treatment of anemia will help to avoid negative consequences.
