Iron deficiency or chronic diseases/ How to distinguish the cause of anemia

2024-06-17 15:17:00, Shëndeti CNA

Iron deficiency or chronic diseases/ How to distinguish the cause of anemia

Illustrative photo, taken from Google

Anemia is a health problem related to an excessively low number of red blood cells or a low amount of hemoglobin.

The latter is an iron-rich protein that binds to oxygen in the lungs and transports it to every tissue and cell.

The global figures for anemia are extremely high.

This disease affects 1.93 billion people or 27% of the world's population.

Available data from the World Bank, the World Health Organization, UNICEF or the Institute of Public Health provide an overview of the spread of anemia in our country.

Thus, in Albania the percentage of women affected by anemia is 32.8 percent.

The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women is 31%.

Data show that the prevalence of anemia is higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

However, it decreases with the increase in the educational level of the mother and the wealth index.

Types of anemia

The most common type of disease is that caused by iron deficiency.

The disease appears when a person does not have enough iron in the body or iron absorption is at a poor level.

The second type is anemia caused by vitamin deficiency.

The disease appears in the absence of vitamin B12 or folic acid.

Aplastic anemia is rare, but it occurs when the body stops producing enough red blood cells.

This happens as a result of infections, exposure to toxic substances, autoimmune diseases and narcotic substances.

Hemolytic anemia results from the breakdown of red blood cells in the blood or in the spleen.

This can occur as a result of autoimmune diseases or inherited disorders.

Anemia as a result of a chronic disease is a secondary consequence of diseases such as cancer, kidney, liver, thyroid, rheumatism and others.

The difference between iron deficiency anemia and that caused by a chronic disease

Anemia as a result of a chronic disease occurs when the metabolism of iron in the body is alienated.

In simpler terms, the body goes on the defensive as a result of inflammation in the immune system, which causes a drop in hemoglobin and poor iron absorption.

In this case the hemoglobin levels are unchanged and slightly lower than the normal which is 9.5 mg/dl.

For example, if anemia occurs as a result of a cancer, the cancer cells produce certain substances that damage or destroy the red blood cells.

Anemia of chronic disease affects both women and men alike.

Iron deficiency anemia affects women more.

Anemia from chronic diseases is not treated with iron supplements.

Any amount of extra iron taken can be harmful depending on the disease.

Iron supplements are only useful in the case of anemia caused by iron deficiency.

Anemia caused by iron deficiency can be detected thanks to blood tests.

However, it is the symptoms observed by the patients themselves that tell the most about the disease.

As we mentioned, fatigue even after sleep, constant cold, yellowing of hands and feet, fever and lethargy are some of them.

How to treat iron deficiency in the body treatment of anemia caused by iron deficiency begins with improving the nutritional regime.