Among common species, iron deficiency anemia is most common. Doctors fix it in more than 80% of cases of such pathologies. The disease begins its development due to a lack of iron in the body, since the trace element plays a rather important role in the process of hematopoiesis. Without it, there is no possibility of the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin. He also participates in the synthesis of most cellular enzymes.
Definition
Iron deficiency anemia is a painful condition of the blood that appears due to a lack of such an element in the blood as iron. This problem will be accompanied by changes in metabolic parameters, and subsequently a decrease in hemoglobin levels. Hypochromia (a decrease in the color index) and microcytosis (decrease in volume) of red blood cells, hypoxia (oxygen starvation of cells and tissues) are quite often noted.
Causes
Iron deficiency anemia is a fairly common disease, so you need to figure out what can contribute to its appearance:
- Explicit or latent constant bleeding. Often this condition is observed due to surgery, ulcers, childbirth, tumors in the stomach or problem hemorrhoids, prolonged and very heavy menstruation, donation, uterine blood loss.
- Unbalanced or malnutrition. This occurs with strict diets, vegetarianism and fasting. And also this problem is observed with prolonged use of foods with a minimum iron content.
- Diseases of the stomach that interfere with the absorption of the element. These include gastritis with low acidity, chronic enteritis and enterocolitis, as well as intestinal dysbiosis.
- The increased need for iron. Such a problem can arise with the active growth and development of adolescents and children, during breastfeeding and carrying a baby, since then the main reserves of the element that a woman needs are spent on the formation of the fetus and the production of breast milk.
Symptoms
It should be noted that, depending on the level of hemoglobin, experts distinguish 3 degrees of iron deficiency anemia:
- mild - hemoglobin fluctuates from 120–90 g / l;
- medium - is in the relative range from 90–70 g / l;
- in severe pathology, the indicator is determined in the zone of less than 70 g / l.
If the degree is mild, then most often the patient feels natural and very rarely notes any ailments. In a more advanced case, headaches, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, loss of strength, decreased performance, low blood pressure, heart palpitations, and in very advanced cases, even fainting, occur. All of the presented symptoms arise due to oxygen starvation of tissues, which leads to a lack of hemoglobin.
Another symptom of iron deficiency anemia may be a malfunction in the functioning of cellular enzymes, which leads to the destruction of tissue regeneration. It manifests itself:
- excessive dryness and roughness of the skin;
- atrophy of the epidermis;
- flaking and brittle nails;
- the formation of cracks in the corners of the mouth;
- dryness and hair loss;
- constant drying in the mouth;
- perverse tastes and violation of charm. Very often, patients feel the taste or smell of acetone or paint, they choose unusual products in their diet, namely raw dough, chalk or clay.
Stages
During a disease such as iron deficiency anemia, certain stages are distinguished:
- Pre-latent - in the process, deposited iron is depleted, and transport and hemoglobin reserves are preserved.
- With a latent deficiency in blood plasma, a decrease in the deposits of transport iron can be observed.
- Complete anemia - with it, all metabolic reserves of the element (transport, erythrocyte and deposited) are depleted.
Forms
Depending on the causes of development, iron deficiency anemia is divided as follows:
- posthemorrhagic;
- alimentary;
- congenital deficiency of an element;
- associated with changes in iron transport;
- increased consumption by the body.
According to clinical signs and severity, experts distinguish:
Diagnostics
After the above symptoms have been found, it is required to confirm or deny the presence of the disease. With this problem, you need to see a doctor - hematologist. It is very important to identify the causes of the patient’s malaise, since a large number of chronic diseases can provoke the formation of anemia. If the root causes of the deficiency are not eliminated, all the treatment measures taken will become ineffective.
The following are often used:
- visual examination of the patient and history taking;
- the doctor writes a referral for a blood test;
- with iron deficiency anemia and suspicion of it, a puncture is performed;
- the patient also goes for a biochemical blood test.
For making the correct diagnosis, all these points are very important, because thanks to this you can identify the underlying disease, which just leads to a significant loss of iron.
In order to understand the main reason because of which an ailment develops, doctors very often prescribe a stool test to detect blood coagulation. For this, the patient needs consultation with highly specialized specialists, and endoscopy and fluoroscopy are required.
Blood enters the feces due to internal bleeding, peptic ulcer disease and severe digestive problems. This condition is considered very dangerous, since with them the blood is lost rather slowly, but constantly, and this can only be detected after passing special tests. With severe blood loss, iron is restored very quickly, and with minimal but constant iron deficiency anemia appears. The clinical indicators of this examination are very important, since further diagnosis depends on this.
An x-ray is prescribed in order to check for the presence of cancerous tumors and ulcers, which so often become the culprits of blood loss.
To assess the condition of the internal mucous membranes of the stomach, intestines and esophagus, a number of endoscopic studies are used.
And it is also necessary to examine the patient from specialists such as a gastroenterologist, surgeon, gynecologist, oncologist and nutritionist.
Modern treatments
Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia and its consequences begin to be treated by determining the cause of such a pathological condition and blood donation, since this analysis can show how much hemoglobin is reduced and red blood cells are reduced.
In the presence of uterine bleeding, they must be stopped, since they completely negate the effect of the therapy. If it is not possible to quickly determine the cause of the disease, the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract) must be carefully checked, an ultrasound scan (ultrasound) is performed, sigmoidoscopy and radiography of the stomach are performed.
Modern treatment of iron deficiency anemia must necessarily include the use of drugs prescribed by the doctor. In the absence of exacerbations of the ulcer and indomitable vomiting, it is recommended that the components be obtained not in the form of injections, but orally, since they have an optimal effect. To date, as doctors say, it’s better to use drugs such as:
- Totem
- Ferrum Lek;
- "Sorbifer";
- Ferlatum;
- Maltofer;
- "Ferrogradum."
Even if the patient will use the prescribed funds, he should know that he must include products that include a large amount of iron in his diet. These include veal, walnuts and apples.
Folk remedies
When forming the first symptoms of the disease, one can easily correct one's condition with home recipes. In order to balance the level of hemoglobin and increase the iron content, you can use natural drinks.
For cooking, you need the following juices:
- lemon 100 ml;
- pomegranate 200 ml;
- apple 100 ml;
- carrot 100 ml;
- beetroot 100 ml;
- honey 70 grams.
Next, you need to combine all the juices and add honey there, after which everything is mixed well until the last ingredient is completely dissolved. Keep this drink exclusively in the refrigerator, and take 20 ml three times a day.
An excellent remedy for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia is the infusion of millennia.
For a drink you will need:
- 60 grams of dry millennial;
- 500 ml of water.
For cooking, you need to pour grass with boiling water, and wait until the broth is cooked for 1 hour. Further, everything is good to strain, so that only the liquid remains. It is necessary to take 5 ml three times a day.
ICD-10 classification of iron deficiency anemia
There is an international classification according to which each ailment has its own code. This technique was invented for the convenience of both doctors in any country and for patients. Anemia, which includes:
- D50.0 - Secondary anemia, which arises as a result of blood loss. An exception to this category is acute posthemorrhagic, which has a code - D62 and which is congenital due to fetal blood loss - P61.3.
- D50.1 - sideropenic anemia, which includes Plummer-Winson and Kelly-Paterson syndrome.
- D50.8 - other anemia.
- Unspecified iron deficiency anemia according to ICD-10 is encrypted as D50.9.
Effects
With proper treatment, as well as with the timely detection of pathology, this disease can be cured without problems. If you do not take measures, then over time, this state of health can lead to disruption of most organs. Due to deficiency, immunity decreases, the number of infectious diseases increases significantly. Deformation of epithelial tissues develops, dermatitis and eczema occur. A very serious problem is the fact that the risk of the formation of heart failure increases.
Women
According to doctors, signs of slight anemia are present in 30% of girls of reproductive age. In particular, they appear during the menstrual cycle.
Over the years, these statistics have worsened, as women begin to abuse diets and unbalanced diets. An important factor is pregnancy and feeding the baby, because of this there is no time to take care of yourself, and stress is constantly accompanied by stress.
In this case, iron deficiency anemia in women is formed due to the fact that the body begins to expend hidden reserves of iron, which it receives first from the tissues, and then from the blood.
Often this problem is balanced after 50 years, when menopause begins.
Pregnancy
She restores the iron reserve that a woman loses at the time of bearing and feeding the baby after the next 3-4 years. That is why, in this wonderful period, the expectant mother will need twice as much element as an adult man.
Everything happens due to the fact that the baby in the womb cannot breathe on its own, so it takes a huge amount of nutrients from it.
Another cause of anemia is severe blood loss after childbirth and further breastfeeding.
A future mother may be diagnosed with a pathology by the state of hemoglobin and red blood cells. If all the coefficients indicate anemia, then subsequent adjustments are carried out exclusively under the supervision of a doctor.
When the mild stage is set, then vitamin complexes are used for therapy and nutrition is adjusted, in which there should be an increased amount of iron.
Children
The clinical picture of this problem in babies is not specific and can acquire one of the syndromes described below:
- Asthenovegetative - it is completely associated with oxygen starvation in the nervous system. It manifests itself as a delay in the psychomotor development of the baby and a decrease in muscle tone. With a severe degree of pathology and the absence of timely treatment, intellectual failure can form. There are other manifestations of asthenovegetative syndrome, which include enuresis, tearfulness, dizziness and irritability.
- Epithelial - characterized by changes in the skin, as well as its appendages. It should be noted that the integuments become dry, and in the area of the elbows and knees hyperkeratosis begins to develop, the hair becomes dull and actively falls out. With iron deficiency anemia in children of this type, glossitis, cheilitis and angular stomatitis often develop.
- Dyspeptic - manifested by a decrease in appetite, which can turn into a complete refusal of food, there is instability of the stool (constipation alternates with diarrhea), dasphagia and bloating.
- Cardiovascular - matures on the background of severe anemia and is manifested by a decrease in blood pressure, shortness of breath, tachycardia, dystrophic changes in the myocardium and murmurs in the heart.
- Immunodeficiency Syndrome - outlined by unjustified temperature rises to subfebrile values. During this period, children are prone to respiratory infections with a protracted or severe course.
- Hepatolienal - observed exclusively against severe anemia, most often combined with other types of anemia or rickets. It manifests itself in serious increases in the size of the spleen and liver.
Prevention
WHO experts (World Health Organization) have formulated the main dogmas of preventive measures that are aimed at ending the iron deficiency in mankind. The main ways to achieve this are the following activities:
- eat foods that are enriched in an easily digestible form of iron;
- treatment of chronic foci of infection;
- the use of drugs that can improve the absorption of iron, most often these are vitamins.
According to WHO experts, prevention should be carried out at the population level, since early symptoms of anemia are observed in almost 30% of the world's population. And this figure is far from small, and the consequences of the disease are extremely unpleasant.
It should be noted that preventive measures can be divided into:
- primary - they include the elimination of the main factor that contributes to the anemization of the body;
- secondary - timely detection of signs and competent diagnosis and treatment of the disease;
- tertiary - minimizing possible complications.