Anemia and Treatment

By: Ms.Hutchinson

How is Anemia Treated

Treatment for anemia depends on the type, cause, and severity of the condition. Treatments may include dietary changes or supplements, medicines, or procedures. Goals of treatment is to increase the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry, this is done by raising the red blood cell count and/or hemoglobin level. (hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body.

Dietary changes and supplements

Low levels of vitamins or iron (fe) in the body can cause some type of anemia. These low levels may be due to poor diet or certain deceases or conditions. To raise your vitamin or iron level, your doctor may ask you to change your diet or take vitamin or iron supplements. Common vitamin supplements are vitamin B12 and folic acid (folate). Vitamin C sometimes is given to help the body absorb iron.

Iron

Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Your body can more easily absorb iron from meats than from vegetables or other foods. To treat anemia, your doctor may suggest eating more meat especially red meat such as beef or liver, as well as chicken . Turkey, pork, fish, and shellfish.

Non meat food sources are: Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables. Tofu Peas, lentils, white, red, and baked beans soybeans: and chickpeas. Dried fruits, such as prunes, raisins, and apricots. Prune juice(100% juices) Iron-fortified cereals and breads.

Vitamin B12

Low levels of vitamin B12 can lead to pernicious anemia. This type of anemia often is treated with vitamin B12 supplements. Can be found in Breakfast cereals with added B12. Meats such as beef, liver, poultry, and fish. Eggs and dairy products (ex. Milk, cheese, and yogurt) Foods fortified with vitamin B12 such as soy based beverages and vegetarian burgers.

Medicines

Your doctor may prescribe medicines to increase the number of red blood cells your body makes or to treat an underlying cause of anemia. Some of these medicines include: Antibiotics to treat infections. Hormones to treat heavy menstrual bleeding in teenaged and adult women. A man made version of erythropoietin to stimulate your body to make more red blood cells. This hormone has some risks. You and your doctor will decide whether the benefits of this treatment outweigh the risks. Medicines to prevent the bodys immune system from destroying its own red blood cells. Chelation (key-LAY-shun) therapy for leading poisoning. Chelation therapy is used mainly in children. This is because children who have iron-deficiency anemia are at increased risk of lead poisoning.

Procedures on how to treat anemia

Blood transfusions, blood transfusions is a safe common procedure in which blood is given to you through an intravenous (IV) line in on e of your blood vessels. Blood transfusions require careful matching of donated blood with the recipient's blood Blood and Marrow stem cell transplant, a blood and marrow transplant replaces your faulty stem cells with healthy ones. Stem cells are found in the bone marrow. They develop into red and white blood cells and platelets. Surgery, only if you have serious or life threatening bleeding that causes anemia. You may need surgery to control ongoing bleeding due to stomach ulcers or colon cancer.