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However, according to Rūta Bartulytė, an internal medicine physician at the Vilnius Cardiolitis Clinics, these symptoms often indicate anemia, which, according to the World Health Organization, affects one in four people. The specialist told him what anemia is, how to recognize it, and what habits can help prevent the disease.
According to R. Bartulytė, anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells and erythrocytes in a person’s blood is reduced. As a result, hemoglobin is missing, a protein that is very important to the body. In its absence, the supply of oxygen to all tissues decreases.
“Anemia can be divided into absolute, due to the lack of red blood cells, and relative, when the number of red blood cells decreases only relatively, due to an increase in total blood volume, such as during pregnancy. Anemia is caused with increased frequency by certain factors in the course of life, and only in rare cases is anemia encoded by human DNA, “said the internal medicine physician in a press release.
Children and women are the most common
The specialist points out that children and pregnant women suffer the most from anemia, especially in underdeveloped countries, where there is an additional problem of nutritional imbalance.
“When it comes to iron deficiency anemia, the most vulnerable group is women, because it is determined by the physiological characteristics of your body: bleeding during menstruation, an increase in blood volume during pregnancy.
It is true that the most common cause of anemia is malnutrition; anemia can also be caused by a poor diet or by following certain eating habits, when we do not obtain the necessary vitamins and minerals ”, says the doctor.
Anemia is caused by a wide variety of causes.
According to R. Bartulytė, anemia can be due to many other reasons, which can be divided into two large groups. The first is a decrease in hemoglobin due to a decrease in red blood cell production and the second is a greater loss of red blood cells.
“The production of red blood cells can be interrupted when the substances necessary for this process become deficient: vitamin B12, folic acid or, more frequently, iron. Production can also be interrupted by damage to the bone marrow, such as hematological diseases or effects of certain medications, since it is in the bone marrow where blood and its elements are formed, points out the interlocutor.
– It is important to mention that anemia can also be caused by chronic diseases. For example, patients with chronic kidney disease develop anemia due to a lack of erythropoietin produced by the kidneys, while other chronic, infectious, or oncological diseases alter iron metabolism and can no longer be used to produce red blood cells. “
The internal medicine doctor extends that the second group of causes, the loss of erythrocytes and the hemoglobin in them, is most often experienced by bleeding, but anemia can also be caused by hemolysis caused by some diseases and conditions.
“In this case, the disease is called hemolytic anemia, which can be caused by a congenital lack of enzymes or changes in the shape of red blood cells. Erythrocyte depletion can also be caused by infectious diseases such as malaria, enlarged spleen or liver, autoimmune causes. However, one of the most common causes of RBC loss is bleeding. However, the bleeding can often go unnoticed, like chronic intestinal bleeding, and requires your doctor to prescribe special tests if you suspect bleeding, “says the specialist.
How to recognize anemia?
According to R. Bartulytė, the symptoms caused by anemia depend on how advanced it is and how quickly it develops.
“If anemia develops slowly, for example due to a lack of iron in food, the body has time to adapt to the lack of oxygen and the symptoms are less obvious. Even in this case, the person constantly feels tired, listless, weak, dizzy.
As anemia progresses, shortness of breath, headaches, exercise tolerance, and heart rate increase. If the level of hemoglobin in the blood drops suddenly, you can develop even more dangerous conditions: disturbances in consciousness, myocardial infarction. The most important thing is not to ignore new symptoms and go to the doctor so that the diagnosis can be made in time, ”says the doctor.
Iron deficiency is also indicated by other symptoms.
R. Bartulytė goes on to say that if a person’s body lacks iron, they may experience not only anemia, but other problems as well.
“When this microelement freezes, the skin begins to dry out and crack, the hair becomes cracked and lost, the nails break, mental activity suffers, it becomes more difficult to concentrate, they become dizzy and the bad mood tires. The research shows that iron deficiency increases the risk of developing migraine, restless leg syndrome. Iron is also necessary to strengthen the immune system: its lack leads to recurrent infections and slower wound healing. “
The best protection is a full diet and regular blood tests.
The doctor says that the main enemy of anemia is a balanced and healthy diet: “The human body better absorbs iron and vitamin B12 from foods of animal origin, so we should eat meat and fish along with vegetables, cereals and fruits that we need so much. If this diet is still unacceptable for you, as a vegetarian or vegan, it is advisable to take iron and vitamin B12 supplements with food ”.
He goes on to say that, in many cases, anemia, or at least the more acute stages, can be prevented by observing your body and having a general blood test at least once every two years, and more often in the elderly or with illnesses. Chronicles.
“In practice, there are cases where people learn of significant anemia by accidentally taking a general blood test, and patients tend to justify their previously tired weakness, fatigue, or apathy at a high rate or stress . If you have noticed the aforementioned symptoms, do not hesitate to contact specialists, as they can be warning symptoms, and we will choose the most appropriate treatment for you, ”says R. Bartulytė, internal medicine physician.
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