Anaemia

Anaemia is a condition that
develops when your body lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin. Haemoglobin
is a main part of red blood cells and bind oxygen. If you have too few or
abnormal red blood cells or your haemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in
your body will not get enough oxygen. Symptoms of anaemia like fatigue occur
because organs are not getting what they need to function properly.

Causes of anaemia

1. Anaemia caused by blood
loss

2. Anaemia caused by decreased
or faulty red blood cell production

3. Anaemia caused by
destruction of red blood cells

Types of anaemia

The most types of anaemia are: (i) Iron deficiency anaemia
(ii)Thalassaemia anaemia (iii) Aplastic anaemia (iv)Haemolytic anaemia (v)Sickle
cell anaemia (vi)Pernicious anaemia (v)Fancoin anaemia

1. Iron deficiency anaemia: the most common anaemia is
iron deficiency anaemia which is usually due to chronic blood loss caused by
excessive menstruation. Increased demands for iron such as foetal growth in
pregnancy, and children. Undergoing rapid growth spurts in infants and
adolescence, can also cause iron deficiency anaemia. This condition is treated
with iron supplementation as well as the treatment of the underlying causes of
iron deficiency anaemia.

Causes of iron deficiency
anaemia

·
Chronic diarrhoea

·
Decreased absorption of iron

·
Increased use of iron: in pregnancy, due to the
growth of the foetus or children undergoing rapid growth spurts in infancy and
adolescence

·
Lack of stomach acid

·
Mal-absorption: poor intestinal absorption of
nutrient

Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia

·
Tiredness, shortness of breath, sometimes a fast
heartbeat, weakness. In some instance, the patient may form PICA(a craving for
something that is not normally regarded as nutritive such as dirt, clay, paper
or chalk)

Treatment of iron deficiency anaemia

·
Dietary changes and supplements, medicines and
surgery

·
Severe iron deficiency anaemia may require
treatment in the hospital, blood transfusion, iron injection, or intravenous
iron therapy : this is a method of delivering iron by infusion with needle in
the vein.

People at risk of iron deficiency anaemia

·
Infants and young children, women and adult who
have internal bleeding are at highest risk for iron deficiency anaemia

2.
Aplastic anaemia

Aplastic anaemia is a blood
disorder in which the body’s bone marrow doesn’t make enough new blood cell. This
may result in a number of health problems including arrhipthmias [too slow, too
rapid, too irregular or too early heartbeat], an enlarged heart, heart failure,
infections and bleeding. Aplastic is a rare but serious condition. It can
develop slowly, suddenly or slowly and tends to worsen with time, unless the
cause is found and treated.

Causes of aplastic anaemia

·
Damage of the bone marrow, stem cells cause
aplastic anaemia

·
Medicines such as chloramphenicol

·
Infectious disease such as hepatitis,
Epstein-barr virus parvovirus B19 and HIV

·
Toxins such as pesticides, arsenic and benzene

Signs and symptoms of aplastic anaemia

Fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache,
chest pain, pale skin, gum and nails. Coldness of feet and hands

Treatment of aplastic anaemia

Blood transfusion, blood and marrow stem cell
transplant and medication. These treatment can prevent or limit complication,
relieve symptoms and improve quality of life

Risk of aplastic anaemia

People of all age can get aplastic anaemia. However it
is more common in adolescent, young adults and the elderly. Men and women are
equally likely to have it.

A person’s risk for aplastic anaemia is higher if you
have:

a. Been exposed to toxin

b. Taken certain medicine

c. Certain infectious disease
autoimmune disorder or inherited condition

3.
Haemolytic anaemia

Haemolytic anaemia is a condition in which red blood
cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal
lifespan is up. A number of diseases, conditions and factors can cause the body
to destroy its red blood cells. Haemolytic anaemia can lead to various health problems
such as fatigue, pain, arrhythmias, an enlarged heart and heart failure. There
are many haemolytic anaemia. Some of which are inherited and others that are
acquired

a. Inherited haemolytic anaemia: includes sickle cell, thalassemia,
hereditary illiptocytosis glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G6PD] pyrurate
kinase deficiency

b. Acquired haemolytic anaemia: premature destruction of
the red blood cell immune haemolytic, autoimmune, drug-induced, mechanical etc.

Causes of haemolytic anaemia

The immediate cause of haemolytic
anaemia is the early destruction of red blood cells. These causes can be
inherited or acquired sometimes the cause of haemolytic anaemia is not known.

In inherited haemolytic
anaemia: different types of faulty genes account for the different types of
inherited haemolytic anaemia. In each type of inherited haemolytic anaemia, the
body makes abnormal red blood cell. The problem with the red blood cell may
involve the haemoglobin, cell membrane or enzymes that maintain healthy red
blood cells.

In acquired haemolytic
anaemia, the body makes normal red blood cell, however, some disease, condition
or factor destroys the cells too early. Examples include immune disorder
infection and reaction to medicine or blood transfusions.

Signs and symptoms of haemolytic anaemia

·
Jaundice : Yellow staining of the skin

·
Pain in the upper abdomen

·
Leg ulcer and pain

·
A severe reaction to a blood transfusion

Treatment of haemolytic anaemia

Blood transfusion,
medicines, plamapheresis, blood and marrow stem cell transplants etc. People
who have mild haemolytic anaemia may not need treatment, as long as the
condition doesn’t worsen

Risk of haemolytic anaemia

Haemolytic anaemia can affect people of all ages races
and sexes

4.
Thalassemia anaemia

Thalassemia is inherited blood disorder which causes
the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less haemoglobin [an iron-rich
protein in red blood cells]

The two major types of thalassemia is alpha and beta thalassemia.
The most severe form of alpha thalassemia is known as alpha thalassemia major
or hydrops fetails, while the severe form of beta thalassemia is known as thalassemia
major or Cooley’s anaemia

Thalassemia affects male
and female and occurs most often in among Italian, Greek, Middle East, Asian and
African descents. Severe forms are usually diagnosed in early childhood and are
lifelong condition.

Causes of Thalassemia
anaemia

·
Genes control how the body makes haemoglobin
protein chains when these genes are missing or altered, thalassemia occurs.

·
Haemoglobin in red blood cell has two kind of
protein chain: They are alpha and beta goblin. If your body doesn’t make enough
of these protein chains, red blood cells don’t form properly and cannot carry
enough oxygen

·
Thalassemia can be inherited

Signs and symptoms of thalassemia
anaemia

·
Bone problems, poor appetite, dark urine, slowed
growth and delayed puberty

·
People who are alpha and beta thalassemia can
have mild anaemia which can make you feel tired

·
People with beta thalassemia intermediate have
mild to moderate anaemia

·
People with H disease or beta thalassemia major
have severe thalassemia symptoms which occur within the first two years of life
and include severe anaemia and other health problem.

Treatment of thalassemia anaemia

·
People who are carriers or who have alpha or
beta thalassemia need little or no treatment

·
Three standard treatment are used to treat
moderate and severe forms of thalassemia these include blood transfusion, iron chelation
therapy and folic acid supplement

Risk of thalassemia anaemia

Family history and ancestry
are two risk factors for thalassemia

5.
Sickle cell anaemia

It’s an inherited disorder, the red blood cells become
crescent shaped because of a genetic defect. They breakdown rapidly, so oxygen
does not get to the body’s organ causing anaemia. The crescent shaped red blood
cells can also get stuck in tiny blood vessels causing pains.

6.
Causes of sickle cell
anaemia

Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited, lifelong disease.
People who have the disease inherit two copies of the sickle cell gene one from
each parent.

Signs and symptoms of sickle cell anaemia

·
The most common symptoms of sickle cell anaemia
are linked to anaemia and pain

·
Sickle cell crises is a sudden pain throughout the
body is a common symptom of sickle cell anaemia and often affects the bones,
lungs, abdomen and joints

·
Coldness of the hands and feet

·
Pale skin

·
Chest pain

Treatment of sickle cell anaemia

Sickle cell anaemia has no
widely available cure, however treatment can help relieve symptoms and treat
complication. Bone marrow transplant may offer a curve in a small number of
sickle cell anaemia cases.

Risk of sickle cell anaemia

Sickle cell is most common in people whose families
descended from Africa, South or Central America, Caribbean Island etc.

7.
Pernicious anaemia

Pernicious anaemia is a condition in which the body cannot
make enough healthy red blood cell because it doesn’t have enough vitamin B12.
People with pernicious anaemia cannot absorb enough vitamin B12 due
to lack of intrinsic factor (a protein made in the stomach). However, other
conditions and factors can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency.

8.
Causes of pernicious
anaemia

·
Lack of intrinsic factor is a common cause of
pernicious anaemia as the body cannot absorb enough vitamin B12

·
Lack of enough vitamin B12 in diet

Signs and Symptoms of pernicious anaemia

Apart from the symptoms of anaemia (fatigue, dizziness
etc) the vitamin B12 deficiency may also have some serious symptoms
such as

·
Nerve damage

·
Enlarged lever

·
A smooth, beefy red tongue

Treatment

Pernicious anaemia is treated by placing the missing
vitamin B12 in the body. People who have this disease may need
lifelong treatment

Risk of pernicious anaemia

·
Having family history of the condition

·
Take medicines that prevent your body from
properly absorbing vitamin B12

·
Veterians who do not eat any animal or diary
product and doesn’t take a vitamin B12 supplement or if you eat
poorly overall.

9.
Fancoin anaemia

Fancoin anaemia or FA is a rare inherited blood
disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. FA is a type of aplastic anaemia
that prevents your bone marrow from making enough new blood cells for your body
to work normally. FA can cause your bone marrow to make many abnormal blood
cell. This can lead to serious health problem such as eukernia

FA is a blood disorder, but it can also affect many of
the body’s organs, tissue and system. Children who inherit FA are at a higher
risk of being born with defects and people who have FA are at a higher risk of
some cancer and other serious health problem. FA is an unpredictable disease,
the lifespan of four people with FA is between 20-30 years. The most common
cause of death related FA are bone marrow failure, leukaemia and solid tumours

Causes of fancoin Anaemia

FA is an inherited disease.
It is passed on from parents to children through the genes. At least 13, faulty
genes are associated with FA. FA develops when both parents pass same faulty
gene to their children

Signs and symptoms of fancoin anaemia

1. Anaemia

2. Bone marrow failure

3. Birth defects

4. Development/ or eating
problem

Treatment of fancoin anaemia

Treatment is based on a person’s age and how well or
poorly the person’s bone marrow makes new blood cells. The four main types of
treatment of FA are:

·
Blood and marrow stem cell transplant

·
Androge therapy

·
Gene therapy

·
Synthetic growth factor

Risk of fancoin anaemia

FA occurs in all racial and
ethnic groups and affects men and women equally. You are at an increased risk
of developing the disease if you have family history of FA.

Prevention of anaemia

·
Breastfeed a baby as long as possible

·
Use an iron fortified formula

·
Delay cow’s milk feeding for infants, limit it
for toddlers

·
Bake with iron rich grains

·
Combine food wisely: eating a food rich in
vitamin C along with a good iron source will help your body use the iron.

To know if you have enough
iron in your body, is to find out if you have enough iron in your blood through
a “finger-stick haemoglobin”: A procedure in which a finger is pricked with a
lancet to obtain a small quantity of capillary blood for testing.

Dietary management of
anaemia

1.
Eat more iron rich foods. The very best source
of iron that is easily absorbed by the human body are meat especially organ
meat like liver and kidney, fish, egg especially the yoke, cheese.

2. Vitamin C improve iron absorption.
Increase consumption of avocado pear and orange, have a glass of fresh orange
juice or guava with breakfast which could contain egg, cereal or a bit of fried
liver.

3.
You need folic acid to assist in preventing
anaemia. Folic acid is mainly found in green leafy vegetable.

4.
Iron supplement may help a lot. Iron sulphate
tablet such as ferrous sulphate, taken in a dose of 300mg three times daily are
recommended

Source of iron

(i)Liver (ii)Broccoli (iii)Okro (iv) spinach
(Ugu) (v)Snail (vi)Unripe plantain (v)Whole grain (vi)Tofu (vii)Dark chocolate
(viii)Sesame oil(23%) (ix)Sunflower oil (11%) (x)Flaxseed oil (9%) (xi)Barley
(12%)

Sources of iron from
seafood

(i)Cuttlefish (51%) (ii)Octopus(45%) (iii)Abalone
(18%) (iv)Scallops (14%)

Source of iron from fruits

(i)Avocado (pear) (ii) Dates

Sources of iron from nuts

·
Cashew

·
Pine

·
Hazelnut

·
Peanut (7%)

·
Almond (7%)

·
Walnut

·
Sesame seed