What is anaemia?

Anaemia is derived from a Greek word meaning “without blood.” It is a condition whereby, there is a deficiency of red blood cells, or haemoglobin. This leads to a lack of oxygen-carrying ability of the body.

The three main types of anaemia include:

1. Excessive or acute blood loss, known as haemorrhage.

2. Excessive blood cell destruction known as haemolysis

3. Deficient red blood cell production known as haematopoisis.

To produce red blood cells, the body needs iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid, among other things. If there is a lack of one or more of these substances, anaemia will develop.

Anaemia is not a disease in itself. It is not only due to iron or vitamin deficiency. It may also be due to a chronic illness, or a genetic or acquired disease (such as thalassaemia or sickle cell disease). It may also be a side effect of a medication, such as anti-biotic medications or anti-coagulants.

What are the symptoms of anaemia?

Anaemia goes undetected in many people, and symptoms can also be quite vague.

• If a person is otherwise healthy, symptoms only appear after the haemoglobin level drops below 10g/dl.

• Breathlessness, tiredness, giddiness and fast palpitations.

• Pale appearance

• Fainting

• If the anaemia becomes severe, angina (chest pain), headache and leg pain (difficulty walking).

In pronounced cases of iron deficiency, noticeable symptoms appear in the tongue and throat and include:



• a burning sensation in the tongue.

• dryness in the mouth and throat.

• sores at the corners of the mouth.

• the nails become brittle and spoon shaped

• pica (an insatiable craving for a specific food, especially iron deficient food)

• brittle hair.

• difficulty eating

A word of caution- iron deficiency can in rare cases cause permanent changes to the mucosa (soft lining) in the throat. This condition is a preliminary stage to cancer.

What are the causes of anaemia?

The following are some of the common reasons why anaemia may develop:

• Heavy periods in women, puberty in girls

• Iron deficient diet

• Internal bleeding, may be due to a tumour

• Diet low in vitamin B12 or folic acid.

• Diseases such as leukaemia, piles, stomach cancer.

• Infections such as malaria and septicaemia, which reduces the life span of red blood cells such as malaria and septicaemia, which reduces the life span of red blood cells.

• Hormone disorders such as hypothyroidism

• Excessive alcohol intake reduces the uptake of folic acid.

What are the different types of anaemia?

• Iron deficiency anaemia

• Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia

• Folic acid deficiency

Who are at high risk of developing anaemia?

Certain people are at increased risk of anaemia, including:

• Menstruating women

• Pregnant women

• Women who are lactating

• Babies, especially if premature

• Children, especially girls going through puberty

• Vegetarians

• People with stomach ulcers

• People with cancer

• People with chronic diseases.

How is anaemia treated?

The treatment definitely depends on the cause of anaemia.

# Anaemia may be resolved with an improved diet or by taking iron or folic acid supplements.

# If anaemia is due to internal hbleeding, e.g. ulcers, then drugs or surgery may be required.

# If anaemia is left untreated, symptoms will gradually get worse. The person may become very tired and weak, and subsequently develop angina or leg pains.

Rich dietary sources of iron:

Food contains two types of iron - heme iron and nonheme iron.

Heme iron is derived from haemoglobin, and is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meat, fish, egg yolk, shellfish and poultry. Iron from these sources is readily absorbed in the intestines.

Iron from plant foods include lentils, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, figs, dates, dried apricots, beetroot, raisins, leafy green vegetables such as spinach, whole grains, fortified cereals and breads, peas and beans is arranged in a chemical structure called non-heme iron. Other sources of dietary iron include green leafy vegetables, tofu, chickpeas, and strawberries.

Preventive steps for anaemia:

# Stick to a healthy, balanced diet and ensure that your food contains good sources of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.

# Cut down on alcohol consumption.

# If you are a strict vegetarian, take vitamin B12 supplements to avoid deficiency.

# Coffee, tea and other caffeine drinks should be avoided because they decrease iron absorption.

# Cook food in an iron pot so as to increase the iron content of foods.

# Eating a lot of fresh salad helps prevent anemia, especially if lots of beet are included.

# Honey helps increase the haemoglobin in the blood, as it is rich in iron, copper and manganese.

# Intake of vitamin C is important for the absorption of iron. An anaemic person must take two citrus fruits daily.

# Avoid cow's milk, which can cause hidden bleeding in the intestinal tract.