How to treat anemia

Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all the tissues of the body. The three major causes of anemia include:

•  Excessive blood loss from menstruation, internal bleeding, an accident

•  Excessive blood cell destruction from disease or an accident

•  Deficiency in the production of red blood cells from illnesses, diseases, or from the bone marrow not creating red blood cells in the case of leukemia.

There are a variety of ways to treat anemia all according to the reason a person has a deficiency of red blood cells.

Increase nutrients

In some cases, anemia is caused because a person is not eating properly and taking in an adequate amount of certain nutrients such as vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron. In this case, the person can take vitamins or injections according to the doctor's prescription.

Correct the loss of blood

If a person is anemic from the loss of blood due to internal bleeding or heavy menstruation, the doctor can normally prescribe medications or other methods to reduce the loss of blood.

Medication to improve the amount of hemoglobin in the body

In cases of cancer, kidney disease, HIV, or Hepatitis C, the doctor can prescribe such medications as recombinant erythropoietin.

Blood transfusions

If the red blood count falls, too much a blood transfusion is the only way in which to raise the hemoglobin swiftly. In some diseases such as leukemia, regular blood transfusions may be necessary to keep the hemoglobin at a healthy level.

Bone Marrow Transplant

When anemia is life threatening, a bone marrow transplant may be the only answer. Most often, this treatment is only used when the bone marrow is not functioning properly and creating red blood cells, which occurs with some leukemia sufferers.

Eating properly and the intake of important nutrients will usually aid in the symptoms of anemia unless a disease or illness is at the root of the problem. Diet has quite a bit to do with the way in which our body works, when we do not provide our body with the proper nutrients, we can have all kinds of ill effects including anemia.