Blood cells in our body are produced in the bone marrow. Three types of blood cells are made in the bone marrow. These cells are white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. White blood cells are defense forces that fight against infections and many living or non-living factors that are likely to harm our body. They are known as white blood cells. Red blood cells are red blood cells and carry oxygen to tissues. Thrombocytes are important actors of clotting and cells that prevent bleeding. The substance that gives blood its red color is hemoglobin found in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is a protein rich in iron. This protein takes oxygen from the lungs and carries it to the smallest particles of our body, and takes carbon dioxide from the places where it leaves oxygen and takes it to the lungs. The lungs also expel carbon dioxide. If the red blood cells are low in number or not healthy in quality, sufficient oxygen cannot be released to the tissues, and some diseases occur due to lack of oxygen. We call the complaints and disease symptoms caused by these disorders anemia. Anemia is not actually a disease in itself, but is a reflection of another underlying disease. This means that there is no such disease as anemia. In a patient diagnosed with anemia, we have to find out which disease caused this anemia, because the cause of anemia may be blood loss from any part of the body or it may be a sign of leukemia (blood cancer). Perhaps, anemia may be caused by a disease that affects the family, such as Mediterranean anemia, sickle cell anemia, or glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, also known as broad bean poisoning, and thus the whole family and relatives will be examined. Well, a nutritional problem can also lead to anemia. Vitamin B-12, folic acid, etc. Lack of some vitamins, mineral (iron-copper-zinc etc.) deficiency, habits of eating harmful substances, such as soil-wall-clay-fabric-hair - bad habits such as eating handfuls of coffee are all causes of anemia. One of the most common causes of anemia in some regions of our country is intestinal parasites. In some cases, blood cells end their life prematurely and break down (hemolytic anemia) and anemia occurs. In many patients, the immune system is impaired due to anemia. take out the clunks. Anemia also occurs in diseases such as rheumatic diseases, diabetes, kidney failure, cancer, bone marrow failure and leukemia. Therefore, the cause must be investigated in patients with anemia. There are some risk factors that cause people to suffer from anemia. These include nutritional disorders, intestinal malabsorption disorders (e.g. Crohn's disease, celiac disease), menstrual problems in some women (long duration or excessive bleeding), gastrointestinal bleeding, pregnancy, bleeding due to coagulation disorders, immune system diseases (e.g. lupus disease, rheumatoid arthritis). arthritis), some professions (e.g. lead poisoning and related anemia in those working in the battery industry).
Anemia may be mild or not felt at all, but sometimes it can be severe enough to be life-threatening. The severity of anemia depends on the cause and degree of anemia, the patient's age, nutritional status, whether there is a familial tendency (genetic reasons) or not, and many other factors. In anemia, there are complaints such as weakness, early fatigue, pallor and paleness, fast and sometimes irregular heartbeat, short and shallow breathing, dizziness, coldness in hands and feet, headache, and slowdown in mental activities. The patient's color is pale.
To find the cause of anemia, the patient's complaints and the history of the disease are very important. Systemic examination of the patient brings the doctor closer to the diagnosis. The patient's lemon yellow color may suggest vitamin B-12 deficiency. A large spleen and glands in the neck, armpits or groin suggest serious blood diseases or cancer. Bleeding hemorrhoids (piles) that cause anemia may be a sign of colon cancer. Bruises that occur spontaneously on the trunk or arms and legs may be a symptom of a bleeding disease or a blood cancer. Since examination findings are not sufficient for diagnosis, we need laboratory and radiological examinations. Sedimentation, blood count, biochemical tests, analysis of urine and defecation, examination of blood under a microscope (peripheral blood smear), bone marrow examination when necessary, chest X-ray, examination of intra-abdominal organs or other organs if necessary (breast, neck, armpit, groin, etc.). ) ultrasonography of the areas, if needed Diagnostic tools such as computed tomography-MRI give us very important information.
Treatment of anemia begins with finding the disease that causes anemia. I would like to give a few examples on this matter. For example, it is easy to treat anemia due to iron deficiency, but if the cause of iron deficiency is stomach bleeding, giving iron pills will increase stomach bleeding and the pills will not be useful as blood loss continues. If the cause of iron deficiency in a woman is bleeding due to gynecological disease, she may have an intrauterine tumor. No matter how much iron the patient takes, on the one hand, there will be medication supplementation, but on the other hand, blood loss will continue, and as a result, the patient will not recover from the treatment. Let's say the cause of anemia is vitamin B-12 deficiency. Treatment of vitamin B-12 deficiency is easy and very inexpensive. However, vitamin B-12 deficiency can also be caused by some types of gastritis that can lead to stomach cancer, not eating meat (vegetarian diet), and immune system disease. So, as with every problem, in solving diseases, it is necessary to first get to the root of the problem.
Dear readers, I wish you a disease-free, problem-free, healthy, happy and long life. Stay healthy.
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