Causes and Treatment of Anemia

Anemia is one of the least feared, but unfortunately, one of the most prevalent medical conditions in the United States of America. Anemia.org, which studied patients suffering from numerous ailments other than anemia, found that a significant proportion of them had anemia. The statistics below paint a scary picture (source: www.anemia.org)

• 10% of people over 65 yrs of age have anemia
• 80% of people undergoing chemotherapy have severe anemia
• 550,000 people die from cancer each year were anemic
• 50% of all patients in ICUs are anemic
• 75% of critically ill patients undergoing long treatments are anemic
• 12% of women aged 12-49 are deficient in iron and at the risk of anemia
• 20% of pregnant women in the U.S. have anemia
• 17-48% of patients with heart ailments / failure have anemia
• 43% of patients who have suffered a heart attack have anemia
• 65 million Americans suffer from hypertension have been diagnosed to be anemic
• 10-72% of people suffering from Crohn's disease have anemia
• 8-74% of people suffering from ulcerative have anemia
• 17-41% of people suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease have anemia
• 30% of people with HIV and 75-80% of people with AIDS have anemia
• 67% of hepatitis C patients have anemia as a result of treatment

So what is anemia and how is it caused?

Anemia is a medical condition that occurs when human blood lacks adequate number of red blood corpuscles (RBCs) or healthy RBCs. Red blood corpuscles contain hemoglobin, which isrequired for binding the cells in the body with oxygen. If a patient has an abnormally low RBC count, it means their hemoglobin levels are also low, and hence the body is getting less oxygen than required for it to function properly. This results in a stressed out or fatigued body. In fact, anemia is the most common blood related medical condition in the United States and affects as many as 3.5 million Americans.

Types of anemia

While there are nearly 400 types of anemia, they are classified into 3 broad categories.
 

A. Anemia caused by blood loss

When there is prolonged bleeding due to the following causes, RBC count drops and one can develop anemia, which may sometimes go unnoticed. 

• Gastrointestinal ailments like ulcers, piles, gastritis and bowel cancer
• Menstruating and pregnant women, especially those who have had several pregnancies before

B. Anemia caused by decreased RBC production

The body may not produce adequate RBCs that are healthy. This may happen when poor quality food is consumed, food that is deficient in minerals and vitamins that arerequired for RBCs to function properly. Varieties of this type include sickle cell anemia and Thalassaemia.

C. Iron deficiency anemia 

This happens when enough iron is not consumed, resulting in inadequate iron in the body. Iron is required by the bone marrow to produce hemoglobin which transports oxygen to various organs in the body. Iron deficiency anemia can result from one or more of the following:

• A diet that is low in iron, especially children and teens who consume a lot of junk food, and vegetarians who consume less of iron rich vegetables
•  Pregnant and menstruating women
• People who donate blood frequently
• Certain drugs, foods, and caffeinated drinks

The causes and treatment of anemia differs from one person to another. Self-medication can be dangerous and a proper course of treatment can be arrived at only after thorough investigation. Meridian Medical is a household name in the Bay Area. We are known for our holistic approach to medicine which helps cure conditions like anemia efficiently and cost-effectively.