Stating that the most common symptom of anemia is fatigue, he noted that the spleen, which removes old and worn out red blood cells from the body, can cause anemia when it gets sick.
Dr. Handan Çipil said that anemia, also known as "anemia" among the public, is a decrease in the number of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood below the normal value according to the patient's age and gender. Noting that anemia is actually just a laboratory finding, Assoc. Dr. Handan Çipil: “But it is always a sign of a disease. It is necessary to investigate the causes, reach the actual diagnosis and treat it. There are three main causes of anemia; blood loss, insufficiency in red blood cell production, excessive red blood cell destruction. "In some patients, more than one of these causes causes anemia," he said.
"It may be acquired or hereditary."
Noting that blood loss is the most common cause of anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia, Assoc. Dr. Handan Çipil said, “It can be short-term or spread over a long period of time. The cause of blood loss may be many other factors, such as prolonged menstrual periods in women, bleeding in the digestive tract or urinary tract, surgical operations, trauma or cancer. Examples of acquired factors and conditions that prevent your body from producing enough red blood cells include nutrition, hormones, some chronic diseases and pregnancy. Aplastic anemia can also prevent your body from producing enough red blood cells. "This condition may be acquired or hereditary," he said.
Assoc. Prof. explained that the decrease in the erythropoietin hormone, which stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells, is also a cause of anemia. Dr. Çipil said, “A diet that does not contain enough iron, folic acid (folate) or vitamin B12 can prevent the production of red blood cells in your body. Your body also needs vitamin C, riboflavin and copper to produce red blood cells. "Situations that make it difficult to absorb nutrients in your body can also prevent the production of red blood cells," he said. . Dr. Handan Çipil said, “The spleen is an organ that removes old and worn out red blood cells from the body. to the branch If the blood becomes large or diseased, it may eliminate more red blood cells than normal, leading to anemia. Examples of inherited conditions that greatly increase the body's destruction of red blood cells include sickle cell anemia, thalassemias, and deficiencies in certain enzymes. "Hemolytic anemia is an example of a situation where your body destroys too many red blood cells," he said.
Stating that the most common symptom of anemia is fatigue, Çipil said, "The person feels tired and exhausted. The person may have difficulty even performing normal daily tasks. Apart from these, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, cold hands and feet, pale skin, and chest pain may occur. "In mild and moderate anemia, symptoms may be mild or absent," he said.
Diagnosis and treatment
Çipil stated that the patient's medical and family history, examination findings and laboratory tests are sufficient to diagnose anemia. “The first test performed in the diagnosis of anemia is usually a complete blood count. Many parts of the blood are measured in the hemogram. Abnormal results may indicate a blood disease, infection, or other condition other than anemia. In other words, anemia can also occur as a symptom in some cases. He stated, "The differential diagnosis of the underlying causes should be made very well from the perspective of a hematologist."
"The aim is to increase the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry."
“In treatment, nutritional changes, supplements and some medications, blood transfusion or bone marrow transplantation and surgery are among the methods used depending on the cause and severity of anemia. The aim of treatment is to increase the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. This is done by increasing the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin levels. Another goal of treatment is to treat the underlying cause or condition of anemia. Antibiotics to treat infections, hormones to prevent excessive menstrual bleeding, artificial erythropoietin hormone to stimulate the production of more red blood cells, medications to prevent the immune system from destroying its own red blood cells, blood or marrow stem cell transplant, surgery if there is serious bleeding that causes anemia and is life-threatening. intervention is among these.”
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