Posts Tagged ‘Pernicious Anemia’

4 Negative Vitamin Deficiency Symptoms

Comments: 0August 9th, 2010 by admin



Vitamins are vital for your health and help your body perform a number of essential functions. Despite this many people do not consume enough of them on a daily basis which is largely down to poor dietary choices. In this article I am going to discuss this topic in greater detail by outlining four negative vitamin deficiency symptoms.

1) BLOOD PROBLEMS:- A lack of vitamin B9, B12 and E can cause various types of anemia to develop. A vitamin B9 deficiency can cause macrocytic anemia (a condition where your body produces fewer, larger red blood cells). Not getting enough vitamin B12 can lead to pernicious anemia (a type of anemia that has similar characteristics to macrocytic anemia). A lack of vitamin E causes hemolytic anemia (a condition where your blood cells become very delicate and are destroyed faster than your body can produce them).

2) BONE PROBLEMS:- Being deficient in vitamin D and K can lead to various bone related problems. A vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets and osteomalacia (two conditions which cause your bones to become soft and bend, swell and fracture more easily). Not getting enough vitamin K can lead to osteoporosis (a condition where your bones density is reduced meaning that they are more likely to fracture).

3) SKIN PROBLEMS:- Not getting enough vitamin B2, B6, B7 or E can cause a variety of skin problem. A vitamin B2 deficiency can make your skin become dry, greasy or scaly. A lack of vitamin B6 can make your lips crack. Not getting enough vitamin B7 can lead to the development of dry skin, rashes and even fungal infections. Not consuming enough vitamin E can cause age spots (brown pigmentations on the skin) to develop.

4) VISION PROBLEMS:- A vitamin A deficiency can cause damage to your eyes which ultimately leads to problems with your vision. In most cases night blindness (a condition that makes it very difficult to see in dim light) is the first symptom of vitamin A deficiency. However, if left untreated night blindness can develop into full blindness.

As you can see there are many unpleasant vitamin deficiency symptoms. Without vitamins your body cannot function properly and as a result cell production starts to suffer. This then affects your blood, your bones, your skin and more. To avoid this you need to make sure you are consuming enough of each of the thirteen vitamins. Take a look at your current diet and see which vitamins you are not consuming enough of. Then address the balance by incorporating some new foods into your diet. This will ensure that you avoid all the negative vitamin deficiency symptoms discussed this article whilst enjoying the full benefits that the thirteen vitamins can provide.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in anemia

How to Avoid Anemia

Comments: 0July 20th, 2010 by admin



Anemia is a word recognised by many people but maybe not fully understood. If you are anaemic you either don’t have enough red blood cells or you have enough red blood cells but they can’t carry enough oxygen. You will often feel faint, short of breath and unusually tired and lethargic.

The main causes of anemia are loss of blood, not enough red cell production or faster destruction than manufacture of red blood cells.

Your red blood cells have a protein called hemoglobin inside which carries oxygen round the body. So they are vital to your everyday health.

There are different types of anemia depending on the cause. Probably the most common is iron deficiency Anemia caused by blood loss and which commonly affects women with heavy periods.

A second common type is pernicious anemia. This happens when your body can’t make enough red blood cells due to poor absorption of vitamin B12. It can be due to a lack of a vital protein called intrinsic factor without which the body cannot absorb B12. It also occurs in a poor diet, especially when combined with alcohol problems.

Anemia of any causes will give you symptoms such as excessive shortness of breath, lethargy, fatigue, very pale complexion, cold hands and feet and possibly chest pain. They are all fairly vague but a doctor should soon pick up and diagnose your problems.

It is diagnosed with a simple blood test, which will also help your doctor decide which type of anemia you have and the appropriate treatment.

For iron deficiency the treatment is to reduce the loss of blood, if possible and to increase your iron intake. This could be by taking iron tablets or by changing your diet. Iron rich foods include green leafy vegetables, red meat, eggs, nuts and beans.

Pernicious anemia is treated with monthly vitamin B12 injections. If poor diet or alcohol is also a problem then reducing the alcohol and eating healthier foods such as fortified breakfast cereals, meat, liver, eggs and cheese will help increase your B12 intake and improve the anemia.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in anemia

Anemia

Comments: 0February 18th, 2010 by admin



Anemia refers to a condition that means lack of blood. It is the most common blood disorder that occurs when the quantity of red blood cells decreases in the body. These red blood cells contain hemoglobin- the red colouring matter, a protein and are composed of an organic compound called “heme”. Hemoglobin helps the red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. The formation of hemoglobin depends on adequate dietary supplies of iron and protein. Red cells have a lifespan of about 120 days and are daily destroyed and repaired. Each and every person should have 100 per cent hemoglobin and a blood count of five million red cells per millimeter.

Types of anemia

1. Iron deficiency anemia: It is the most common types of anemia. Iron is required for the formation of hemoglobin, when there is less iron in the body it causes iron deficiency anemia.

2. Aplastic anemia: When body stops making enough red blood cells and chances of infections increases.

3. Vitamin deficiency anemia: This is also termed as megaloblastic anemia. This is caused due to the deficiency of folic acid or vitamin B12. In this type of anemia the red blood cells made by the body are not able to carry oxygen properly to lungs and other parts.

4. Inherited blood disease: Sickle cell anemia is an inherited anemia that is transferred through genes. In the sickle cell anemia the cells block the organs from getting proper circulation of blood. The other inherited disease is thalassemia. When the body is missing certain genes or when different genes that are not normal are passed down from parents to the kins affects the procedure the body uses to make hemoglobin.

5. Underlying diseases: Certain diseases or condition can affect the formation of red blood cells. Like in kidney failure one is on dialysis and kidney is not in the condition to produce hormones that are required for iron absorption.

6. Pernicious anemia: When body is not able to absorb vitamin B12 from the foods, the condition is known as pernicious anemia. This vitamin is also produced by the bacteria in large intestine but is not absorbed into the blood stream.

Causes

The two main causes of anemia are the reduced or low formation of red blood cell and heavy loss of blood due to injury, heavy menstruation and bleeding piles. Any defect in the bone marrow or an inadequate intake of iron, vitamins and proteins results in low formation of red blood cells. The lack of hydrochloric acid that is required for digestion of iron and proteins also causes anemia. Use of drugs that inactive the nutrients needed in building cells also results in anemia. Various chronic diseases like tuberculosis, kidney failure, rheumatoid arthritis may cause anemia. Presence of intestinal parasites that feed on the vitamins and other nutrients also leads to anemia.

Home Remedies

1. Eating 2-3 apples daily helps in increasing iron content in the body.

2. A liberal intake of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is necessary for the proper absorption of iron. Two citrus fruits are recommended daily.

3. Vitamin B12 is necessary for both preventing and curing anemia. The rich sources of this vitamin are animal protein and organic meats like kidney and liver. The other good sources of vitamin B12 are dairy products, wheat germ, peanuts and soybean. The daily recommended dose is 2.2 microgram.

4. Tea and coffee should be avoided as they hinder with the iron absorption.

5. Beets are very important in the cure of anemia. Its juice contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, iodine, iron, copper, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and vitamins B1, B2, B6, C and P.

6. A cold-water bath is the valuable method in curing anemia. Two baths are recommended daily.

7. Cold friction and hot Epsom baths for 5-10 minutes once a week are recommended.

8. Sunbaths are also beneficial as sunlight stimulates the production of red cells.

9. 3-4 dried figs are recommended a day for anemic person’s.

10. Honey also plays an important role in improving the health. Lemon and honey or apple cider vinegar is highly beneficial when taken during morning.

11. Massaging the body daily also helps to keep the blood level in the body high.

12. Deep breathing and light exercise like walking also tones up the system and increases the blood level.

13. Various yoga asanas like sarvangasana, paschomittanasana, uttanpadasana and shavasana are also beneficial.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in anemia