Anaemia
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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
Alternative / complementary treatment of anaemia
Anyone who thinks they may have anaemia needs to have a proper diagnosis by their doctor to ensure they are getting proper treatment and use this information in conjunction and with approval of medical advice.
The following are the treatments advocated by alternative therapists:
Herbs
There are no herbs which are recommended to help treat anaemia.
Vitamins
There are a number of vitamins which are beneficial in preventing nutritional-deficiency anaemia and others which support blood function:
- B vitamin complex - a B vitamin complex is necessary to help ensure the proper function of the blood vessels and haemoglobin
- Folic acid - if a blood test confirms that folic acid levels are low, supplementation will be required to bring folic acid levels back to normal and treat the anaemia
- Vitamin B12 - pernicious anaemia is due to a deficiency of vitamin B12, so this may require injections of vitamin B12 to avoid the stomach (as intrinsic factor may also not be functioning properly)
- Vitamin C - the antioxidant vitamin C is useful to help the body absorb more of the iron and vitamin B12 in food, it also helps to enhance haemoglobin function and it also ensures folic acid is used more effectively by the body
- Vitamin E - the antioxidant vitamin E is beneficial in conjunction with vitamin C to help the body use the haemoglobin more effectively and prevent it from becoming unhealthy. Vitamin E also helps the blood becomes less sticky and may prevent stroke (which is a complication of sickle cell anaemia)
Minerals
There are a number of minerals which are beneficial in preventing nutritional-deficiency anaemia and others which support blood function:
- Iron - when blood iron levels are low, this can cause iron-deficiency anaemia, so supplementation will be required. The best forms of absorbable iron are: iron chelate, ferrous gluconate, fumarate or phosphate. Iron supplementation should not self-prescribed, but only taken when iron-deficiency anaemia has been diagnosed, as too high levels of iron can cause toxicity
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Other nutrients
There are some other nutrients which are recommended to help with certain types of anaemia:
- Probiotics - such as acidophilus can help the intestinal flora become more balanced with "good" bacteria and assist with absorption of vitamin B12
Dietary modifications
For people who have been diagnosed with nutritional deficiencies, the following are recommended:
- Increase foods rich in folic acid - people who are low in this important vitamin need to increase their intake of foods rich in folic acid, such as spinach, kale, collard greens (any dark green, leafy vegetables)
- Increase foods rich in iron - people who have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia need to increase their intake of foods rich in iron, such as kidneys, liver, egg yolk
- Increase foods rich in vitamin B12 - people who have been diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia need to increase their intake of foods rich in vitamin B12, such as mollusks, beef liver, trout, salmon
- Increase foods rich in vitamin C - people with any type of nutritional deficiency anaemia should include foods rich in vitamin C, to help their body better absorb those nutrients and reduce anaemia symptoms
Lifestyle modifications
There are no lifestyle modifications which are recommend for people with anaemia.
Alternative treatments
There are no other alternative treatments which are recommended for people with anaemia.
Always ensure that you notify your medical practitioner of any supplements that you want to take - it may interfere with other medication or conditions you have. Confirm with your doctor it is safe to take BEFORE you try it.
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