Alimentary anemia: causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods. Iron deficiency in the body: consequences

Alimentary anemia, the ICD-10 code of which is D64, goes through several stages of development, and first of all, its appetite is signaled by poor appetite or its almost complete absence. This deviation is due to the fact that the diet was not drawn up correctly, and the body did not properly receive a certain amount of trace elements. But at the same time, physical activity and emotional stability are preserved, there is no loss of strength. We will talk more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of anemia in the article.

Causes

The main causes of the disease are:

• hypovitaminosis and hypervitaminosis;
• HIV infection;
• granulomatosis;
• deficiency in the body of iron, folic acid, vitamin B ₁₂ - all of these substances are participants in the formation of red blood cells;
• thalassemia;
• bad habits alcohol use, smoking;
• gynecological diseases - uterine leiomyoma, endometrial hyperplasia, severe menstruation, uterine bleeding;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract erosion, ulcers, hemorrhoids;
• shortening the life expectancy of red blood cells, the so-called hemolysis, congenital or acquired, which occurs as a result of poisoning the body;
• depression or depletion of bone marrow;
• oncological diseases;
• helminthic infestations;
• in very rare cases, hereditary anemia is also possible;
• frequent nosebleeds of various nature;
• surgical intervention with a large loss of blood.

Blood loss can be visible or overt in chronic diseases or in women’s diseases.

People who are very often blood donors are at risk of developing nutritional anemia.

In some regions of the world, bloodletting is used to treat certain diseases, almost all who underwent this procedure developed anemia.

A possible reason is the use of anticoagulants. The main thing is to monitor blood tests from the finger so that anemia does not develop.

Causes of the disease in pregnant women

What can provoke:

• consequences of malnutrition (anorexia, non-consumption of meat in any form);
• chronic diseases - rheumatism, various heart defects, liver diseases (hepatitis), kidney diseases (pyelonephritis);
• ailments that are accompanied by frequent nosebleeds;
• burdened obstetric and gynecological history - many births, spontaneous miscarriages or abortions, toxicosis from an early date, young primiparous (less than 17 years old), primiparous over 35 years old;
• history of bleeding during pregnancy;
• premature placental abruption.

Factors for the development of pathology in babies

The causes of nutritional anemia in children are as follows:

• school and preschool children in connection with the intensive growth of the body;
• monotonous food, in which there is not enough iron, protein, fat;
• low absorption of iron by the stomach;
• lack of ascorbic acid, vitamin B ₁₂ , copper;
• disturbed intestinal microflora in children on artificial feeding;
• intoxication of the body by various pathogens.

Symptoms

Signs of the disease:

• pallor of the skin;
• limited physical activity, muscle weakness;
• muscle loss is noticeable, especially this pathology is evident in boys during puberty;
• increased body weight, obesity can even develop (a special difference in the alimentary type is a large saggy stomach);
• the number of red blood cells is normal so far, but hemoglobin is lowered.

In this type of anemia, the internal organs are usually not enlarged or may increase very slightly. The consistency of feces is changing. They are very reminiscent of clay and very dry. If the disease has passed into a severe stage, then the signs take on the following character:

• The liver and spleen are now significantly enlarged, as well as the lymph nodes.
• Pale skin is more pronounced.
• The cardiovascular system is significantly affected. First of all, the heartbeat becomes more frequent, the heart rate is disturbed, pains in the chest and in the heart area appear, low pressure worries. A doctor can determine functional murmurs in the heart and blood vessels.
• Periodically there is an increased temperature.
• The number of red blood cells falls, but does not cross the 3 million mark. The severe form of the disease is distinguished by the appearance of nuclear forms of red blood cells. Determination of nutritional anemia can also be done by conducting a blood test in the laboratory to determine the level of hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells.

Since young children are often susceptible to this disease, you should pay attention if they develop the following symptoms:

• febrile conditions appear;
• frequent diarrhea;
• all signs of dystrophy are manifested;
• the examination reveals a blood clot;
• pallor of the skin is noted.

The diagnosis in this case must be made carefully, as this can be false anemia, and a pale skin is a sign of a deep arrangement of capillaries.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of alimentary anemia (iron deficiency) is carried out by specialists in several stages:

• a mechanism is determined that affects the decrease in the level of hemoglobin in human blood;
• identifies the causes of the disease that underlie the iron deficiency syndrome;
• a complex of laboratory studies and decoding of the results are carried out.

To establish the correct diagnosis, it is necessary to know that the level of iron in the blood depends on and can vary depending on which gender and age group the patient belongs to. The process of diagnosing alimentary human anemia involves several stages. Let's talk about them in more detail.

At the first stage, it is necessary to conduct a general clinical blood test from the finger (determining the level of hemoglobin). The following is a complete study that will show in what condition the patient’s bone marrow. In the third step, a blood sample is taken for biochemistry. The fourth stage of the examination includes a study of the state of the gastrointestinal tract. This helps to detect helminths, which can also cause anemia. The fifth stage is only for women - this is a gynecological examination of a specialist. And at the final stage it is necessary to consult a hematologist who can determine possible violations of the circulatory system.

Drug treatment

Drug treatment of iron deficiency in the body is prescribed to the patient after diagnosis and an official diagnosis. If the disease is confirmed, then the patient should, in addition to all other courses of treatment, take the necessary drugs that act on the focus of the disease, and adhere to a diet for better absorption of the drugs. In general, drugs for this disease are based on the replacement of iron in the patient's body. Also, medications increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood to the desired rate. Most preparations, except iron, contain some groups of vitamins in their composition, which can significantly improve the state of health and complete assimilation of the components. All the drugs necessary for treatment can be prescribed exclusively by the attending physician, because anemia is a serious disease, during which the condition becomes only worse, and in more advanced cases, the disease can threaten a person’s life.

In the process of treating anemia, medication is mandatory, because with the help of them, the necessary level of iron in the blood is quickly filled. Since the body is not able to synthesize individual elements, it therefore receives it with food. But in this case, all the necessary components contained in food are not fully absorbed. For example, of all the necessary components in meat, a person receives only 1/3, and from fruits and vegetables - 2/3. Thanks to drugs that are able to exceed all the above indicators up to 20 times, recovery comes faster.

With medical treatment, drugs based on:

• ferrous iron;
• trivalent.

From a biological point of view, all iron preparations with low hemoglobin of a bivalent type are more accessible to the human body, so they are almost completely absorbed. All medications, which are based on the second type, are made, taking into account all the latest technologies, which makes it possible to reduce the risk of side effects. For faster and better absorption, antioxidants are added to anti-anemia drugs. Most often, this role lies with ascorbic acid.

The only negative factor for these medicines is their high price. All used iron preparations with low hemoglobin, once in the intestinal environment, bind to transferrins. Transferrins provide the necessary components to all hematopoietic organs. Due to the fact that some products used with drugs can reduce absorption, doctors prescribe the necessary diet for the patient, which must be followed throughout the treatment process.

In addition to simple medicines, injections are also used, which are carried out only in the hospital. This method is used only in severe cases of the disease. If there are problems with the intestines or stomach, then in order to avoid aggravation of the situation, an intramuscular method of administering drugs is used.

Alternative treatment

With a lack of iron in the body, it is necessary to use the following recipes and infusions of herbs. When taking more than a month, it is recommended to take an analysis, if the blood composition has not changed, treatment should be stopped. For oral administration, you need to prepare the following medicine:

1. Take one each carrot, dark radish and beetroot. These vegetables need to be peeled, then grated, squeezed juice from each vegetable, mix everything in one container and put in the oven for three hours at low temperature. After cooking, drink one tablespoon in the morning, afternoon and evening.
2. Wormwood medicine: you need to take wormwood grown in May, one liter of vodka needs one hundred grams of wormwood. Put in a dark, cold place, after three weeks have passed, drink five drops.
3. To replenish the body with iron, you need an apple and pomegranate, carrots and lemon. All components are taken in the same amount, only grenade needs twice as much. Squeeze the juice from them and add seventy grams of honey, pour into a glass jar and keep for two days in the refrigerator, then drink two tablespoons in the morning, lunch and evening.
4. Infusion of meadow clover. In a glass of boiling water ten grams of herb, pour, wait 45 minutes and drink two tablespoons in the morning and evening.
5. The medicine from the fat. Take 400 grams, melt, add one chopped apple into it and put all this mass in the oven for one hour. Then mix twelve yolks from eggs of domestic chickens with a glass of sugar, rub 400 grams of chocolate here. Now mix everything and send to the refrigerator. The resulting mixture is like a sandwich with bread in the morning, at lunch and in the evening.
6. It will take one tablespoon of wild rose, pour it with a glass of boiling water in a thermos, wait eight hours, drink during the day in three divided doses.
7. Berries as a medicine. Need blackcurrant, strawberries and red mountain ash, make juice from them. Mix and drink half a cup in the morning and evening.
8. Infusion of garlic. Three hundred grams of garlic pour one liter of alcohol, before this finely chop the product. Tincture should stand in a dark, cold place for three weeks, then drink one teaspoon three times a day.
9. Take three yolks from home eggs, mix with a tablespoon of honey, add one glass of red wine and drink in the morning on an empty stomach, then do not have breakfast. It takes 14 days to be treated.

Each of the above funds should be drunk in the form of courses, the minimum course is two weeks. After taking this folk remedy, it is necessary to check blood counts, if there are no changes, use another remedy.

Food

When a low hemoglobin level is detected in a blood test, then the doctors make a diagnosis of alimentary (iron deficiency) anemia, and prescribe therapeutic diet food. If you adhere to these appointments, then the level of iron in the blood can normalize. First of all, harmful food products are excluded from the daily diet and amendments are made, which are prescribed by a specialist.

The basics of diet with a lack of iron in the body are as follows:

1. You should increase the daily intake of protein foods. It is proteins that help to carry out the process of assimilation of iron, form red blood cells and hemoglobin in human blood.
2. Fats are able to reduce the natural process of blood circulation in the body, so in the daily diet it is necessary to reduce the amount of food ingredients that are rich in these organic elements.
3. If this disease causes a symptom such as constipation, it is recommended to cross out foods that contain coarse fiber from the diet.
4. It is necessary to prepare dietary dishes for a couple, stew or cook. Such manipulations best preserve all the useful properties of the products.
5. If this disease is associated with allergic pathologies, then the main allergen should be identified first. Further, all products containing the detected element, as well as spicy, salty, spicy, fatty and fried foods, are excluded from the diet.
6. With anemia, it is strictly forbidden to use strict diets.
7. The nutrition of the patient should be complete and balanced.
8. Eat often and in small portions.
9. Also, experts prohibit the use of separate nutrition, as this can further aggravate the patient’s state of health.

Prevention

Preventive measures to prevent nutritional anemia is, first of all, a balanced diet, the inclusion in the diet of products in which a large percentage of iron is necessarily present. This item:

• regulates and restores the required level of iron in the circulatory system without harming the gastrointestinal tract;
• supports the body's defenses;
• does not allow anemia to develop.

Also important are:

• Vitamin C, which helps better absorption of iron.
• Calcium. It maintains good permeability of cell membranes, and especially capillaries. Positive effect on neuromuscular activity.
• Phosphorus. Helps vitamins to be better absorbed.

In order to prevent the development of nutritional anemia, it is necessary to donate blood twice a year for laboratory testing. If there is a suspicion that the disease is manifesting, the doctor may prescribe a therapeutic course of iron-containing agents. Any other study may be prescribed if iron is poorly absorbed by the body. Often this disease is preceded by others, for example, hemorrhoids, uterine fibroids, stomach ulcers. Therefore, it is necessary to identify primarily the disease that causes iron deficiency. For prevention, proper nutrition is needed that satisfies the daily need for iron:

• women consume daily up to 20 mg of this substance;
• men - up to 15 mg.

Foods with a lot of iron are meat products and fish, oatmeal and baked potatoes, nuts (forest and almonds), dried apricots and figs, raisins and beans.

Effects

Chronic lack of iron in the human body can lead to a deterioration in his health. It can cause a number of symptoms that can seriously aggravate the general condition of the patient and reduce his performance due to constant fatigue. Such a diagnosis can affect people of different ages and sex. Here is what can provoke this ailment:

1. With a hemoglobin deficiency, the functioning of the oxygen supply system to the blood cells is disrupted. The human immunity weakens, as a result of which the risk of infection with infectious diseases increases.
2. In case of iron deficiency, the skin of the patient (eczema and other skin pathologies) can be affected. Also, the mucous membranes of the whole organism are at risk.
3. With this diagnosis, the likelihood of contracting various intestinal infections and acute respiratory infections doubles.
4. A violation of blood pressure and tachycardia may also occur.
5. If this disease applies to expectant mothers, then this can lead to a risk of developing some pathologies in the baby.
6. If a lack of iron affects children, then the likelihood of mental retardation and a worsening of their psycho-emotional state is possible.

The level of hemoglobin in the blood of a person is one of the most important indicators of the health of his body. Timely identification of symptoms and treatment of anemia will help avoid negative consequences.