Symptoms and causes - Anemia

WHAT IS ANEMIA?<br /> <br /> <br /> Anemia refers to a condition in which the RBC (red blood cell) count or hemoglobin of an individual is lesser than normal.<br /> <br /> RBCs in a healthy person compared to an anemic person's RBCs<br /> <br /> Now, it would only be logical to ask WHAT this NORMAL limit is. The normal level of hemoglobin is different for different people.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudT8X9xudWJSTw3hnr4E3QPwBLUacdaDI3sJQMpLXJRPxr850vjQn2yqb-S9E2tyThSLuQQoQJd_l0g9X0QWxQekiulAqgS8-A6jysC0B_39FkN9bBs5vncuw80iosrmAi-JcMxSyHw/s1600/ANEMIA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudT8X9xudWJSTw3hnr4E3QPwBLUacdaDI3sJQMpLXJRPxr850vjQn2yqb-S9E2tyThSLuQQoQJd_l0g9X0QWxQekiulAqgS8-A6jysC0B_39FkN9bBs5vncuw80iosrmAi-JcMxSyHw/s320/ANEMIA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> The desirable range is:<br /> <br /> <br /> Newborns: 17 to 22 gm/100 ml<br /> Babies 1 week of age: 15 to 20 gm/100 ml<br /> Babies 1 month of age: 11 to 15 gm/100 ml<br /> Children: 11 to 13 gm/100 ml<br /> Adult men: 14 to 18 gm/100 ml<br /> Adult women: 12 to 16 gm/100 ml<br /> Men after middle age: 12.4 to 14.9 gm/100 ml<br /> Women after middle age: 11.7 to 13.8 gm/100 ml<br /> <br /> <br /> CAUSES OF ANEMIA<br /> <br /> <br /> The basic cause of anemia is the disruption of the normal life span of a red blood cell. RBCs are formed in the bone marrow and typically, an RBC lives for about 120 days.<br /> <br /> Now, anemia can be caused if either of these conditions arises:<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> New RBCs are not formed at a rate required to replace the dead/ worn out RBCs, or<br /> Existing RBCs get lost or destroyed before the completion of their lifespan.<br /> <br /> <br /> Causes of anemia<br /> <br /> Causes of anemia<br /> Iron deficiency anemia:Hemoglobin (i.e. the oxygen carrying pigment present in our blood) is made up primarily of iron. Tragically enough, almost 3% men, 20% women and 50% pregnant women around the world suffer from an iron deficiency.<br /> The role of hemoglobin<br /> The role of hemoglobin<br /> This IRON DEFICIENCY is the most common cause of anemia.<br /> <br /> <br /> The main causes of this iron deficiency are:<br /> <br /> A diet which is deficient in iron<br /> Poor absorption of the iron present in the diet by the body- we need Vitamin C to help us absorb the iron present in our diet.<br /> <br /> Pregnancy<br /> Heavy blood loss due to injury or internal bleeding<br /> Heavy blood loss during periods<br /> If the body does not get the iron required by it in adequate quantities, it will first use up its iron deposits. Once this store has been exhausted, anemia develops. Iron stores of women are usually much smaller than men because of the blood they lose every month to menstruation.<br /> <br /> <br /> Anemia caused by blood loss:Anemiais usually caused by internal hemorrhages and other conditions of varying intensity. These might include:<br /> <br /> Polyps in the colon<br /> Hemorrhoids<br /> Ulcers in the duodenum (a part of the    intestine)<br /> Cancer of the colon, stomach or food pipe<br /> <br /> Menorrhagia or abnormally heavy bleeding during periods<br /> Ulcers in the stomach, which could be the result of infections or a side effect of anti-inflammatory medicines. Though such medicines can cause SOME blood loss, the loss thus caused is usually not severe enough to cause anemia.<br /> Pernicious anemia:This refers to anemia caused due to the inability of the body to absorb Vitamin B12 from the intestines. Risk factors of pernicious anemiainclude:<br /> Addiction to alcohol<br /> Strict vegetarianism, especially if vegetarian diet is deficient in vitamins<br /> Abnormal functioning of intestines or stomach due to which body is unable to absorb the vitamin B12 from the diet inspite of adequate intake<br /> Hemolytic anemia: This refers to anemia caused due to hemolysis or premature destruction of RBCs. Hemolytic anemia can be inherited or acquired. Causes of such anemia can be quite simple at some times but can be life threateningly serious as well.<br /> Other causes:Apart from the causes listed above, anemiacan be caused by many other reasons like:<br /> <br /> Infections of the bone marrow (the sites of RBC production)<br /> Cancers of the bone marrow like leukemia or multiple myeloma<br /> Chemotherapy treatment for cancer- it damages the bone marrow and slows down the rate of RBC production, leading to anemia<br /> Kidney failure patients who may, at times, lack the hormone required to stimulate the bone marrow to produce RBCs<br /> Addiction to alcohol or excessive intake of alcohol<br /> HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)<br /> In our next post, we will talk at length about the symptoms associated with anemia, so that you can diagnose yourself and know whether you are anemic. After all, knowing your problems better is the first step towards finding a solution for them.<br /> <br />

Symptoms and causes - Anemia Symptoms and causes - Anemia

WHAT IS ANEMIA? Anemia refers to a condition in which the RBC (red blood cell) count or hemoglobin of an individual is lesser than normal...

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Blood Pressure : How to choose the right blood pressure monitor

Buying the RIGHT home blood pressure monitor is no mean task. The decision should be taken with utmost care since it can ?affect’ your blood pressure readings for a long time to come.<br /> <br /> As we have discusses in a previous post, there is a glut of home blood pressure monitors in the market today. And they come with so many features and in such a wide variation of price that the buyer often finds himself at sea while making the choice.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvfWOnq8epwlj45G-rtYCMPf_JRTkGAUiqpQzoSdgLv47dt5UYlB8rjY7DPTILVTShq9RaZ6bg69fK2tk4kxuXwV3znHDVn3zRsm4ZoTJKLHBaQP1w9c3GSqO07-4UacNUIARRLMLTA/s1600/MAR_HEM773AC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvfWOnq8epwlj45G-rtYCMPf_JRTkGAUiqpQzoSdgLv47dt5UYlB8rjY7DPTILVTShq9RaZ6bg69fK2tk4kxuXwV3znHDVn3zRsm4ZoTJKLHBaQP1w9c3GSqO07-4UacNUIARRLMLTA/s400/MAR_HEM773AC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> A Blood Pressure monitor<br /> <br /> A Blood Pressure monitor<br /> <br /> Let me share with you a few simple guidelines which will help you buy just the right home blood pressure monitor for your needs without burning a hole in your pocket.<br /> <br /> As a matter of rule, home blood pressure monitors used on the upper arm give the most accurate and reliable results. Given a choice, one should always prefer them over a wrist or a finger monitor.<br /> The most expensive home blood pressure monitors are not always the best. Smart manufacturers will try to befool you by adding features like inbuilt memory, pulse wave graphs, interactive graphs and sharing your results with your friends via email (weird, isn’t it??) etc and charge you may times the cost of a normal, simple apparatus. Though such features are DESIRABLE, they are NOT a must-have.<br /> Talk to you about the features YOUR home blood pressure monitor MUST have to your doctor so that you can choose one with utmost care.<br /> Whatever the type of home blood pressure monitor you are using, make sure to buy the right cuff size. Even if you stick to the good old manual device, buy the cuff size that fits you properly at the upper arm to be able to get an accurate reading. In case of digital apparatuses too, you must ensure the same. A cuff that fits you only loosely will not give you correct readings<br /> Make sure that the device you are finally purchasing has been ‘CLINICALLY VALIDATED? by the British Hypertension Society. This mark on your device means that it has undergone a series of tests to ensure that you get the most reliable readings.<br /> <br /> Now that you know about the various types of home blood pressure monitors available in the market and the pros and cons associated with each, I do hope you will be able to buy one which suits you best, does not cause a dent in your savings and gives you reliable readings for many many years to come without the need to rush to your doctor every time you doubt that your blood pressure is not within the normal range!!!

Blood Pressure How to choose the right blood pressure monitor Blood Pressure : How to choose the right blood pressure monitor

Buying the RIGHT home blood pressure monitor is no mean task. The decision should be taken with utmost care since it can ?affect’ your blood...

Read more »