Ferropenic anemia: that this, symptoms, causes and consequences

Surely the term "anemia" is familiar to a large majority of people;However, the real meaning of this disease is rarely deepened.

What is anemia

The word "anemia" comes from the Greek expression an haima, which means "no blood".And certainly there is talk of anemia when there is "less blood", that is, less red blood cells or erythrocytes, which are an essential component of the same.

This anemia is measured precisely by circulating hemoglobin, the red pigment that constitutes much of those red blood cells.There is talk of anemia when there are less than 13 g/dl of hemoglobin in men, less than 12 g/dl in women and less than 11 g/dl in children.

Now, contrary to what is sometimes believed, the cause of this "lack" of hemoglobin is not always the lack of iron.There are other possible causes, such as an anomalous manufacturing of erythrocytes or red blood cell.

Another cause of hemoglobin anemia or deficit is blood losses due to digestive hemorrhages, hemorrhoids, neoplasms, etc..

Attention, therefore, self-diagnosis.Not whenever we talk about anemia, we refer to ferropenic anemia, so not as long as there are symptoms of anemia or a poor amount of hemoglobin, iron and vitamins supplements should be taken: a serious mistake could be made.

We will focus on ferropenic anemia, due to iron insufficiency, and also the most common.

Women and children: the most affected

Anemia due to iron or ferropenic, represents up to 45% of all anemias and is the most frequent nutritional lack of the developed world.

More than 800 million people on the planet suffer this problem.In fact, in industrialized countries it affects 6-9% of the population.

The most prone people to suffer this problem are pregnant women, women of procreation age and children.

All this does not mean that adult men are free from this problem, but it is true that they suffer less frequently.

Why the lack of iron?

Iron is essential to synthesize hemoglobin, which, as the same word indicates, is a molecule composed of iron and globin type proteins.It is synthesis occurs mainly in the bone marrow and without sufficient iron cannot be performed.

If less hemoglobin occurs, the red blood cells will contain it in less quantity and that is what will be detected in the blood analysis.

As for the causes of ferropenic anemia, several can be highlighted:

Poor Iron Diet

Although numerous foods contain iron, the shortage of this mineral in diet is a relatively frequent cause of anemia, even in countries where no malnutrition problems occur.This is because often the diets that are followed are very unbalanced.

A collective prone to this deficit is that of strict vegetarians, because although iron is present in the plant world its absorption by the organism is much lower and, if the diet is not very well designed, the shortcomings are frequent.They can also have vitamin B12 deficit, which also negatively influences the iron level.

Another risk group is that of people who follow very drastic diets.It is not uncommon that these diets do not meet the minimum iron requirements.An extreme case would be that of adolescents who, in the middle of the growth period, follow unbalanced or monotonous diets.

The elderly are also vulnerable, because sometimes, due to economic, chewing or digestive problems, poor diets in iron are followed.

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Small hemorrhages

Often iron intake is correct but exaggerated losses occur.

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It would be the case of people who frequently take drugs such as aspirin, who produce microhemorrhagia in the stomach.

They can also produce an extra expense of iron bleeding hemorrhoids, even if they are unimportant.A small but constant microsangrado ends up a loss of iron that must be taken into account.

Another relevant factor is menstruation.A person with very frequent or abundant menstruations logically has higher iron requirements.

Small tumors in the uterus or intestine can also increase iron losses, even if they are benign tumors.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

As explained before, these two physiological stages involve greater iron needs.During breastfeeding, breast milk provides considerable iron doses for the baby.

In addition, the new mother has just passed a high wear stage with pregnancy, with higher iron requirements.This is one of the causes why it is not advisable to start any type of diet during breastfeeding.

Increase

Until the end of adolescence there is a marked growth and iron needs increase.This fact is not trivial, because teenagers are often followed.

In addition, at this stage you begin to eat differently from the family and have some gastronomic autonomy, so that the danger of lack increases.

Intestinal problems

Sometimes the dose of Iron ingested is correct but due to intestinal problems it is not absorbed well.

The organism absorbs iron in the upper section of the small intestine.Any serious alteration of this part of the digestive tract will most likely lead to an iron deficit.

Diseases that entail a bad widespread absorption or an intestinal transit too fast also contribute to the lack of iron.

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Consequences of health anemia: some can be serious

Recall that iron is essential to manufacture hemoglobin, which is found in red blood cells and basically takes care of transporting oxygen throughout the organism through the bloodstream.

In addition, iron is a component of myoglobin, a substance comparable to hemoglobin and also transports oxygen in the muscles.

Another iron function is to be part of hundreds of enzymes.

Therefore, anemia has consequences, and many.Now, those consequences are not always noticeable.

SYMPTOMS OF FERROPENIC ANEMIA

The following are some of the most significant symptoms that ferropenic anemia can produce.They do not always appear with the same intensity.It will depend on the person in question and the severity of anemia:

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How isnemia detected?

It is not easy to detect an anemia without a blood analytics in between.The previous symptoms can provide a track but it is the amount of blood analysis hemoglobin that will give certainty.

And not only that: to be sure that it is a ferropenic anemia, in addition to a low hemoglobin rate, there must be small or microcytic erythrocytes, an iron level in the blood or rather low sidemia and some iron deposits and some iron depositsor ferritin below normal.

Many times hemoglobin is more or less normal but not the level of deposits.This may already indicate a certain iron deficit, although the problem itself is not yet established.

The diagnosis must always emit the optional.ATTENTION: You never have to take iron or supplements without medical prescription.A low hemoglobin without other analytical data indicates anemia, but not necessarily ferropenic.

And there are anemias, such as that produced by some chronic diseases, which not only do not need iron but, in the event that they were taken, they would worsen considerably.

Iron supplements: When to take them?

When you have a moderate or severe ferropenic anemia, it is not enough to follow an adequate diet.It will generally be necessary, in addition to a diet rich in iron, take iron salts.

Ferrous iron are especially useful, as they absorb much more easily than ferric iron.

An important point that should be taken into account is that you cannot take a free or excessive dose of iron supplements.It will notice not exceed 100 mg per dose and the frequency will depend on the severity of anemia.

It is the doctor who must establish the pattern, because an excess of iron can lead to serious problems, especially in children.And this is so even if iron is of "natural" origin.

In general, the most frequent side effects of iron salts are nausea, vomiting and constipation, which will vary from one person to another and depending on the dose.

Of course, the other part of the treatment will be to investigate the cause of anemia to be able to correct it.

If it is due to the diet, the treatment is obvious and is to increase the consumption of iron -rich foods and acquire habits that favor their absorption, but the other causes described must also be ruled out.

Hence, before severe anemia the visit to the optional is forced.As much as iron supplements: no diet can cure a serious anemia alone.