Guest guest Posted October 30, 2002 Report Share Posted October 30, 2002 > Hi, > Could some one tell me what the best thing there is to do for anemia? My father had problems with severe anemia and got injections for it regularly. You should check with your doctor. Iron supplements might not do it for you. Christy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 30, 2002 Report Share Posted October 30, 2002 > Hi, > Could some one tell me what the best thing there is to do for anemia? My father had problems with severe anemia and got injections for it regularly. You should check with your doctor. Iron supplements might not do it for you. Christy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 30, 2002 Report Share Posted October 30, 2002 http://www.healthcatalog.com/anemia.htm Anemia Anemia is not a disease, but rather a symptom of various diseases. Anything that causes a deficiency in the formation or production of red blood cells, or that leads to the too-rapid destruction of red blood cells, can lead to anemia. Millions of Americans suffer from this disorder, which is a reduction in either the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in your blood. This results in a decrease of the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry to the various parts of the body, which means that anemia reduces the amount of oxygen available to the cells of the body. As a result, they have less energy available to perform their normal functions, and important processes, such as muscular activity and cell building and repair, slow down and become less efficient. When the brain lacks oxygen, dizziness may result, and mental faculties are less sharp. Pernicious anemia is a severe form of anemia where a person cannot absorb any form of vitamin B12 from the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a vitamin B12 deficiency. Malabsorption can cause pernicious anemia, and so can poor eating habits, gastrointestinal infections, and sometimes even strict vegetarianism. If vitamin B12 levels fall too low it will result in lagging energy, depression, indigestion, diarrhea, and anemia. Ongoing vitamin B12 deficiency carries a risk of neurological damage. The most common cause of anemia is iron deficiency. Iron is an important factor in anemia since it is used to make hemoglobin, the component of red blood cells that attaches the oxygen and transports it throughout the body. Red blood cells exist only to oxygenate the body and they have a life span or approximately 120 days. If a person lacks sufficient iron, the formation of red blood cells is impaired. Iron-deficiency anemia can be caused by insufficient iron intake and/or absorption, or by significant blood loss. Anemia’s symptoms can easily go undetected. The first signs of anemia may be loss of appetite, constipation, headaches, irritability, and/or difficulty in concentrating. References The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under one year old not drink cow’s milk. Milk can cause anemia by interfering with iron absorption and possibly causing internal bleeding. The AAP published the results of a University of Iowa study that found the blood content in the stool of infants fed cow’s milk was five times higher than children fed infant formula. Researchers concluded that the amount of iron lost was “ nutritionally important.†Vitamin Bible. Mindell, Earl Vitamins & You. Benowieez, The People's Guide to Vitamins & Minerals. Bosco, Dominick The Complete Book of Vitamins. Gottlieb, Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, and F. Balch, M.D. Recommendations Avoid beer, candy bars, dairy products, ice cream, and soft drinks. Additives in these foods interfere with iron absorption. For the same reason, avoid coffee (which contains polyphenols) and tea (which contains tannins) Include foods in your diet that are high in iron, such as Apples Apricots Asparagus Bananas Broccoli Kelp, and Leafy Greens Include foods that are high in vitamin C to enhance iron absorption Have a complete blood test to determine whether you have an iron deficiency before taking iron supplements; excess iron can damage the liver, heart, pancreas, and immune cell activity, and has been linked to cancer If you are a strict vegetarian, watch your diet closely; taking supplemental Vitamin B12 is advised Do not take calcium, vitamin E, zinc, or antacids at the same time as iron supplements as they can interfere with iron absorption Eating fish at the same time as vegetables containing iron increases iron absorption. Omitting all sugar from the diet increases iron absorption as well Supplement your diet with one or more of the following nutrients—click on any link to find it at the Health Catalog Store: <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=607A " >Liver Tablets</A>—Liver contains all the elements needed for red blood cell production <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=214A " >Folic Acid</A> and <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=231A " >Biotin</A>—These B vitamins are needed for red blood cell formation <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=539A " >Iron</A>—As prescribed by physician after a blood test; take with vitamin C to improve absorption <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=213A " >Vitamin B12</A>—Essential in red blood cell production and to break down and prepare protein for cellular use <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=201C " >Vitamin B-Complex</A>—B vitamins work best when taken together <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=209B " >Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)</A>—Important in red blood cell reproduction <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=217A " >Vitamin B6</A>—Aids absorption of vitamin B12 <A HREF= " http://www.healthcatalog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD & Store_Code\ =HC & Product_Code=303B " >Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids</A>—Important in iron absorption Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2002 Report Share Posted October 31, 2002 > Actually, my Dr said I am EXTREMELY anemic, found out last week when I found > out about diabetes. He has me on 325 mg of iron 3 X a day. We'll see how it > works...... I have been so anemic for the last year that I had to get 5 blood transfusions. Every iron supplement I tried gave me really bad angio edema ;-( (wsm311@...) Peace and Carrots Farm Vermont http://www.homestead.com/peaceandcarrots/ http://www.heathershikinghiatus.homestead.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2002 Report Share Posted October 31, 2002 Dear , Is it possible you are both bleeding internally? That may sound wacky, but I had a boss who nearly bled to death before his internal bleeding was discovered. He finally became so weak he was rushed to the ER and the ER doc sniffed the air and immediately called for blood transfusions. (He could *smell* the blood!) Many things can cause us to bleed in our digestive system, including even small doses of aspirin, in some cases, and of course medications. It is unusual that both you and your husband are anemic. You can have stool samples taken to check for blood. Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2002 Report Share Posted November 1, 2002 Raquel, have you been thoroughly checked out to make sure you don't have tumors? I went through the hemorrhaging and pain for many years before the tumors became really large and were discovered. I even had exploratory abdominal surgery, and all the OB/GYN could say was that I had some external cysts on my uterus and that my blood supply to my abdomen was distended, as if there was " something there " that wanted a lot of blood. By the time of the hysterectomy, I had three fibroid tumors that were tennis-ball to orange-sized. I think they have much better diagnostic equipment today. Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2002 Report Share Posted November 1, 2002 Raquel, have you been thoroughly checked out to make sure you don't have tumors? I went through the hemorrhaging and pain for many years before the tumors became really large and were discovered. I even had exploratory abdominal surgery, and all the OB/GYN could say was that I had some external cysts on my uterus and that my blood supply to my abdomen was distended, as if there was " something there " that wanted a lot of blood. By the time of the hysterectomy, I had three fibroid tumors that were tennis-ball to orange-sized. I think they have much better diagnostic equipment today. Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2002 Report Share Posted November 1, 2002 Have you both had recent stool samples, to check for occult blood? Susie Dear Susie, Yes, that was the first thing he did when I went back for another check. The ulcers are starting to heal and there was only a trace of blood left in the stools. I'm only on the prednizone for another month and a half as I wasn't healing very well so he put me on that to give the asacol a boast. I was diagnosed twice before and hospitalized for diverticulitus but when I had my last flare up the doctor sent me to the specialist and he said it has been Corhn's all along. He thinks that after a year on the asacol, if it all clears up, I may never have another flare up. As for diabetes, I've been following my husband's diet for myself since I've always been hypo, 55 to 65 as a normal and now all of a sudden the last year and a half I've had a lot of readings close to 200 even though the doctor doesn't think I'm diabetic because of the one A1c he ran. Robbie has RA and has not been checked for any internal bleeding although he has frequent blood work and his last metabolic is how he found out he was anemic too and that his thyroid was out of wack. --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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