Anemia
occurs when the amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood
becomes low, causing the tissues of the body to be deprived of oxygen-rich
blood. The blood of an anemic person has trouble carrying oxygen to
tissues and organs, in a sense, become "starved" of oxygen and without
oxygen, the tissues cannot produce energy to function.
There are several kinds of anemia, but the most common type of anemia,
iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). Just as the name implies, it is due
to insufficient iron in the body. 20 percent of all women of childbearing
age have iron-deficiency anemia. The main cause of iron-deficiency
anemia is blood lost during menses. During their reproductive years,
women are more likely to develop iron deficiency because they lose
20-40 mg or iron per month during the menstrual cycle. Other common
causes of anemia include: eating inadequate amounts of iron-rich foods,
a deficiency of Vitamin B-12, a deficiency of folic acid, or poor
iron absorption by the body.
How Much Iron Does A Woman Need?
The body recycles iron, so when a cell dies the iron is used to produce
new cells. Due to the body's efficient reuse of iron, iron has a relatively
small Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). The RDA of iron for postmenopausal
women is 10 milligrams; women of childbearing age as well as nursing
mothers 15 milligrams, and pregnant women require 30 milligrams, and
as many as 90 percent of women do not consume enough iron. An otherwise
balanced diet may not supply ample iron to women in one of the following
groups- menstruating, dieting, pregnant, and women who do not eat
red-meat, as well as women who have trouble absorbing iron from their
foods.
Red blood cells are formed in the bone marrow where iron-rich hemoglobin
is stored. The heart pumps blood to the lungs, where the red blood
cells bind to oxygen and this oxygen-rich blood circulates through
the body to the tissues and organs. Red blood cells have a lifetime
of 120 days and must constantly be replaced. Since hemoglobin is the
main component of red blood cells, anemia occurs when the hemoglobin
supply is inadequate. The initial stages of anemia normally present
no symptoms. As the body's store of iron becomes exhausted, the body
is not able to produce healthy red blood cells. If iron stores are
not replenished, iron-deficiency anemia develops. It can take months
or even years to develop symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia, symptoms
include- weakness, paleness, shortness of breath and poor appetite.
How Is Anemia Diagnosed?
Anemia is diagnosed by a blood test, either by a finger stick in a
clinic, or by a blood test done in a laboratory. Mild anemia does
not have any significant long-term consequences. However, as the anemia
becomes more severe, there are medical problems, which may arise.
The most serious of these involve the heart. Severe anemia may cause
a condition called high-output heart failure, where the heart must
work harder to provide enough oxygen to the body. The heart beats
faster and increases the amount of blood that is pumped per minute.
When this condition occurs in individuals that have existing heart
disease, the heart may be unable to keep up with this increased demand,
and symptoms such as difficulty in breathing and swelling of legs
can occur. Individuals who have coronary artery disease, or narrowing
of the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart, may develop symptoms
of angina, the pain associated with an insufficient blood flow to
the heart muscle. Depending on the age of the woman and the degree
of coronary artery disease, angina may develop with even mild anemia.
In severe cases, the heart muscle may be permanently injured, and
the woman will be at increased risk for a heart attack.
Finding the cause of the anemia is essential because the treatment
changes with the cause. Most adolescent girls and women do not require
iron supplements, but a diet high in iron-rich foods. When increasing
diet alone cannot reverse iron deficiency, iron supplements may be
needed. Where iron deficiency is caused by blood loss, stopping the
blood loss will control the anemia.
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