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- What is anaemia?
- Symptoms of anaemia
- Causes of anemia
- Prevention of anaemia
- Risk factors for anaemia
- Complications of anaemia
- When to see a doctor about anaemia
- Diagnosis of anaemia
- Conventional treatment of anaemia
- Alternative/complementary treatment of anaemia
- Living with anaemia
- Caring for someone with anaemia
Research shows that there are some risk factors associated with the development of anaemia:
- Age - people over 65 are more likely to have anaemia than younger people. Research shows that 40-60% of people in nursing homes who are over 85 years are more likely to have anaemia. Researchers think this is due to the gastrointestinal system not functioning as well as it did before
- Auto-immune problems - certain types of anaemia are thought to be caused by an auto-immune problem and current science does not know how these types of anaemia are triggered nor how to cure them (examples are, aplastic anaemia, haemolytic anaemia)
- Cancer - people with some types of cancer may becomes more at risk of developing anaemia, so blood tests should be done on a regular basis to prevent it
- Genetics - certain types of anaemia have a genetic basis, which means certain people are more liable to have this type of anaemia especially if other family members also have it too (for example, sickle cell anaemia)
- Heavy menstrual periods - women who have heavy blood losses each month may become more easily anaemic as their reserves of iron (and possibly haemoglobin) become quickly depleted each month and replacement may not happen rapidly enough
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- Lack of folic acid - people who do not get adequate levels of folic acid in their diet (either by not eating enough foods rich in folic acid, or having a gastrointestinal disorder which prevents absorption of folic acid from food eaten), may develop anaemia
- Lack of iron - people who do not get adequate levels of iron in their diet (either by not eating enough foods rich in iron, or having a gastrointestinal disorder which prevents absorption of iron from food eaten), may develop anaemia
- Lack of vitamin B12 - people who do not get adequate levels of vitamin B12 in their diet (either by not eating enough foods rich in vitamin B12, having a gastrointestinal disorder which prevents absorption of vitamin B12 from food eaten or having a problem with intrinsic factor), may develop this type of anaemia (pernicious anaemia). Vegetarians are usually most at risk of pernicious anaemia because they may not be eating foods rich in vitamin B12
- People with stomach ulcers - these people may be at risk of anaemia if the stomach ulcer bleeds internally and this causes significant blood loss that may not be able to be replaced adequately
- Pregnancy - research shows that women who are pregnant have a higher risk for developing anaemia due to a nutritional deficiency. This is because the unborn child requires a lot of nutrients as does the mother to help nourish the unborn child and because the amount of blood circulating in the pregnant mother increases, which means more iron and haemoglobin are required
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< 4: prevention of anaemia 6: complication of anaemia > Last reviewed: 15 December 2007 || Last updated: 28 February 2009
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
