The mysterious diagnosis of "folic acid deficiency anemia" can be heard quite often. What does he mean? First of all, confirmation of this condition indicates an insufficient amount of vitamin B12 or B9 (folate) in the blood.
Folate (a salt of folic acid) is essential for the body to produce new red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen to internal organs. With a decrease in their number, anemia develops, causing the patient weakness and a feeling of fatigue.
If you are diagnosed with vitamin B12-folic acid deficiency anemia during pregnancy, there is a risk of intrauterine malformations of the fetus - for example, splitting of the vertebral arches. This defect leads to deformation of the spine of the child.
With a confirmed diagnosis, you can use special medications and biologically active food additives with a high content of folic acid - this will reduce the risk of adverse effects on the fetus, and in case of a deficiency of the substance not related to anemia, it will prevent the development of a dangerous condition.
British scientists have concluded that maintaining normal levels of folate in the blood helps reduce the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system and colorectal cancer.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a synthetic analogue of vitamin B9, also called folate. This vitamin is washed out of the body along with sweat and urine. It does not accumulate in the internal organs, so every day you need to eat food containing a sufficient amount of vitamin B9. The same applies to vitamin B12, the amount of which often decreases simultaneously with the level of folate with a diagnosis of vitamin B-12 folic acid deficiency anemia.
Causes
The main reason for the development of a pathological condition is a monotonous malnutrition. Often a risk factor is a diet low in vitamins or excessive heat treatment of food (frying, stewing, steaming, cooking, grilling, using a microwave). Folic acid is found in small quantities in most foods, but it is especially rich in citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals and granola. In rare cases, an anomaly occurs - the inability to absorb enough folic acid from food entering the body. Heavy bleeding can also lead to anemia.
In addition, vitamin B-12 folate deficiency anemia can be caused by the following circumstances:
- Pregnancy. During this period, the rate of assimilation of folates decreases. In addition, the growing fetus begins to take vitamin B9 from the mother. Toxicosis associated with vomiting also contributes to the loss of essential substances.
- Malabsorption (malabsorption). This disorder is diagnosed with insufficient absorption and absorption of a certain vitamin or mineral. The absorption of folic acid is affected by certain diseases and medications taken. For example, celiac disease (gluten intolerance) or medications designed to fight seizures can cause malabsorption.
So, as you already understand, against the background of all of the above, folic acid deficiency anemia develops. Pathogenesis includes impaired DNA synthesis due to a decrease in the level of active folic acid in the blood.
Risk factors
In a generalized form, risk factors leading to the development of a condition such as vitamin B12-folic acid deficiency anemia can be reduced to the following:
- abuse of heat treatment of food;
- vitamin-deficient diet;
- frequent abuse of alcoholic beverages (alcohol interferes with the absorption of folate);
- certain diseases (e.g. sickle cell anemia);
- taking medications (most often this group includes medicines for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and seizures);
- pregnancy.
Signs and Symptoms
Currently, more and more people with different age groups are diagnosed with folic acid deficiency anemia. Symptoms of this condition are listed below. It:
- feeling of tiredness;
- the appearance of ulcers in the oral cavity;
- gray hair;
- swelling of the tongue;
- growth retardation in children.
Although folic acid deficiency anemia is invariably accompanied by these signs , symptoms of a similar nature occur in patients with folate deficiency not associated with anemia, and in people eating monotonously or inadequately.
The following are often added to the main features:
- dizziness;
- chills;
- irritability;
- headache;
- labored breathing;
- pallor of the skin;
- diarrhea;
- unplanned weight loss;
- loss of appetite;
- impaired concentration.
Diagnostics
Since the above symptoms may indicate another blood disease, you should consult with a specialist for an accurate diagnosis. Vitamin B12-folic deficiency anemia is determined by the results of a general blood test. This study helps to identify insufficient red blood cells.
Perhaps the doctor will prescribe specific studies to determine the exact level of folic acid. If the patient is a woman of childbearing age, most likely, you will need to do an additional pregnancy test, since the body will direct the bulk of folic acid to the development of the fetus. In addition, you will need to answer a number of questions about nutrition in order to exclude the possibility of pathology due to malnutrition.
If you are taking any medications, be sure to tell your doctor about it, as a number of medications can cause or aggravate a lack of folate and vitamin B12.
Treatment
After confirming the diagnosis of folic acid deficiency anemia, treatment will primarily be aimed at increasing folic acid levels. The easiest way to replenish folate levels is to take vitamin tablets until anemia resolves. Nevertheless, with a particularly low amount of vitamin B9 in the blood, intravenous administration of folic acid is prescribed.
Along with taking medications and dietary supplements, the intake of foods rich in the substance should be increased. These are spinach and other leafy green vegetables, pinto beans and oranges. Eat more fresh foods and avoid fried foods saturated with fats and virtually devoid of truly valuable nutrients, if possible.
To prevent the occurrence of such a disorder as vitamin B12-folic acid deficiency anemia, British scientists recommend taking 400 mg of folic acid every day. During pregnancy, some diseases and pathological conditions of the body, the need for this substance may increase. The maximum dose without the risk of exceeding the norm is 1000 mg of folic acid. An interesting fact: the synthetic form of vitamin B9 is absorbed much better than the natural folate found in foods. That is why even those who adhere to a balanced diet, as rich in nutrients as possible, usually need to take additional doses of folate.
Before using folic acid and special nutritional supplements, consult your doctor.
Forecast
Adequate treatment of B12-folic acid deficiency anemia leads to the development of positive dynamics and the final elimination of the symptoms of this condition. Recovering patients, as a rule, do not suffer from relapses. Intensive treatment usually lasts for two months.
Possible complications
Symptoms of the condition being analyzed invariably cause discomfort. Since folic acid deficiency anemia most often develops during pregnancy, the diagnosis should be timely and as complete as possible to exclude intrauterine malformations of the fetus (associated with impaired spinal column formation and neural tube defects).
In addition, the following possible complications are recorded in scientific and medical practice:
- the appearance of premature gray hair (straight hair often begin to curl);
- increased skin pigmentation;
- infertility;
- worsening of a disease of the cardiovascular system or the development of heart failure.
Prevention
Folic acid deficiency anemia is a condition that is easy to prevent. It is enough to eat a lot of foods with a high content of folic acid. The recommended daily dose of 400 mg (in addition to the diet) is suitable for all women. You must adhere to such a scheme before the planned conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Conclusion
Although the opinions of scientists regarding the need for drug prophylaxis of a disorder such as folic acid deficiency anemia still vary (not all doctors confirm the benefits of taking additional doses of folic acid), there is real evidence that some pathologies depend on a lack of folate and vitamin B12. The inclusion of food additives with a high content of the substance in a normal diet has its advantages:
- reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis;
- prevents the occurrence of cerebrovascular accident;
- helps to avoid the development of neural tube defects in the fetus, provided that folic acid is taken before and during pregnancy;
- helps reduce the risk of autism and disorders associated with gestational diabetes in newborns.
It was previously believed that the use of additional doses of folic acid reduces the risk of cancer. However, at present, there is evidence of the opposite effect: in some cases, an increased content of this substance in the body causes the growth of pathologically altered cells and leads to the progression of cancer. Thus, before using folate, you should consult your doctor and make sure that you have no contraindications for taking synthetic vitamin B9.