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Hypochromic anemia or, as it is also called, hypochromia, is a disease that is characterized by a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood. This pathology can be detected thanks to a simple study – a clinical blood test.
Hypochromic anemia – what is it?
Hypochromic anemia is not a single disease. Under this term, several varieties of anemia are combined at once. However, each of them is characterized by a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is a protein that contains iron in its composition. Hemoglobin is transported by red blood cells and is responsible for gas exchange in the body. If the level of hemoglobin in the blood falls, then this leads to the development of hypoxia of organs and tissues. As a result, they are unable to function normally, which seriously affects human health.
If we turn to the Greek language, we can find out that anemia is translated as anemia. This concept perfectly reflects the essence of this violation. Anemia can accompany a wide variety of diseases that are somehow related to the hematopoietic system.
In addition to the fact that with hyperchromia the level of hemoglobin in the blood decreases, the number of red blood cells in it decreases. People suffering from anemia are more susceptible to attack by various viruses and bacteria. It was found that patients with anemia are 2 times more likely to seek medical attention for intestinal and respiratory viral infections.
Hyperchromic anemia is characterized by a decrease in the color index of the blood. Red blood cells change from their normal biconcave disc shape to an annular shape. In the middle of such red blood cells, a light circle appears, which is bordered by a dark ring.
Anemia is a common disorder not only among adults, but also among children. Immediately after birth, the child has a certain supply of iron, which he received from his mother. If these reserves are not replenished, then the baby will develop anemia.
Causes of hypochromic anemia
Depending on the type of anemia, the reasons leading to its development will differ.
These include:
Bleeding, accompanied by blood loss in large volumes: with prolonged and heavy menstruation, during surgery or against the background of an injury.
Errors in nutrition with insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals from food. Vegetarians and people on strict diets often turn to doctors for anemia.
Hidden internal bleeding, which may be present on an ongoing basis, or resume from time to time. A person may not notice such blood loss. Their sources are often diseased gums, inflamed hemorrhoids, affected walls of the intestine or stomach, uterus and ovaries.
Infectious diseases that have a chronic course. These include tuberculosis and hepatitis. Iron in the body is redistributed and poorly absorbed. In older people, anemia is often caused by diseases of the kidneys and liver.
Poisoning the body with various poisons and chemicals.
During gestation, a woman’s body needs iron to a greater extent than during normal periods of her life. Therefore, pregnancy is always associated with the risk of anemia.
Parasitic infestations, in particular, infection with worms, can lead to the development of anemia.
All kinds of blood pathologies can cause anemia.
Autoimmune diseases lead to the death of red blood cells, which also contributes to the development of anemia.
Separately, it is necessary to note the causes of anemia in babies who have recently been born, as well as in children who were born prematurely.
They include:
Rh-conflict of mother and child.
Infection of the fetus during its intrauterine development with hepatitis, rubella or other diseases.
Serious errors in the menu of a pregnant woman.
Injuries received during childbirth.
If you feed the child incorrectly, without following the recommendations of the pediatrician, then this will inevitably lead to the development of anemia. Often a similar situation is observed in children who eat artificial mixtures.
Teenagers are also at risk for developing anemia. This is facilitated by hormonal changes and periods of active growth of the body.
Symptoms of hypochromic anemia
Symptoms of mild hypochromic anemia can indeed be confused with chronic fatigue, with nervous strain or physical overwork. However, the severity of their manifestation directly depends on the stage of anemia in terms of hemoglobin. The less it is in the blood, the more noticeable will be the signs of existing anemia.
The first symptoms of anemia include:
Deterioration of well-being, which manifests itself in a slight malaise.
Fast fatiguability.
Weakening of concentration.
Constant feeling of physical fatigue.
Increased sleepiness.
Depending on the severity of anemia a person has, its symptoms will vary. This can be found in the table.
Severity of anemia | Symptoms of anemia |
First (mild) severity | Often there are no symptoms of the disorder, the person does not know about his pathology. There may be slight weakness and slight malaise. |
Second (middle) degree |
|
Third (severe) degree |
If left untreated, anemia can be fatal. |
Symptoms of anemia in childhood
The child may not show symptoms of anemia at all. Often, this disorder is diagnosed only after donating blood for analysis. In order not to miss the onset of anemia, adults should carefully monitor the health of the child.
You should be concerned about symptoms such as:
The child looks very pale compared to his peers.
The baby is not sleeping well. He has no appetite.
The child is lethargic and lethargic.
The child is often sick.
Small cracks may appear at the corners of the mouth.
The physical and mental development of the child is delayed.
If left untreated, anemia can cause serious health problems and, in severe cases, can even lead to death.
Varieties
Hypochromic iron deficiency anemia can be of several types, including:
Microcytic iron deficiency anemia. This type of anemia is the most common. A disorder develops against the background of bleeding, with insufficient intake of iron from the outside (with food), or under the condition that the body is not able to adequately absorb this microelement. Also, this type of anemia is often diagnosed in nursing mothers and pregnant women. The risk group includes children and women of childbearing age.
Sideroachrestic, or as it is called, iron-rich anemia. This type of disorder is characterized by a normal level of iron in the blood, but it cannot be absorbed, which leads to a decrease in the number of hemoglobin molecules in red blood cells. Such anemia is more susceptible to the elderly, alcoholics, as well as patients who have undergone poisoning with pesticides or drugs.
Iron-redistributive anemia develops when the level of iron in the blood rises against the background of the destruction of red blood cells. This condition often accompanies tuberculosis, as well as diseases accompanied by purulent processes.
Mixed anemia. Such anemia develops against the background of a lack of vitamin B12 and iron in the body. A person suffering from such a disorder often gets tired, his body’s natural defenses deteriorate, and edema is observed, concentrated in the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe arms.
For many people who first encountered the diagnosis of “hypochromic anemia”, the question arises – what is it: a hereditary or acquired disease? In fact, pathology can be inherited and develop throughout life. The congenital form of anemia manifests itself in the presence of other blood diseases, and the acquired form is the result of surgical interventions, infections and intoxications.
The World Health Organization provides frightening statistics. According to them, every 3 women and every 4 men on the planet suffer from anemia. Moreover, the violation occurs in them in a chronic form. The reason for this is hidden diseases, errors in the diet, which contributes to a lack of iron for the normal production of hemoglobin. At the same time, people themselves do not turn to doctors for help. They believe that their increased fatigue and poor health is directly related to frequent stress and physical fatigue.
Diagnosis of hypochromic anemia
To make a diagnosis, the doctor examines the patient and listens to his complaints. Without fail, the doctor specifies whether the closest blood relatives suffered from anemia. The next step in the diagnosis is laboratory testing. Be sure to donate blood for analysis to calculate the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin in it.
Age and gender | Normal hemoglobin level in g/l | Abnormalities in g/l | |
Male | 130-160 | Less than 130 | |
Female | 120-150 | Less than 120 | |
Pregnant women | 110-150 | Less than 10 | |
Children under five | Newborn | 145 | Less than 145 |
1-14 days | 130 | Less than 130 | |
15-28 days | 120 | Less than 120 | |
1-5 years | 110 | Less than 110 | |
One erythrocyte should contain 0,85-1,15 hemoglobin. Hypochromic anemia is characterized by a decrease in this indicator less than 0,85.
To clarify the diagnosis, you will need to go through a number of additional diagnostic procedures, which also allow you to find out the cause of anemia:
The delivery of feces for the detection of hidden blood in it.
Passage of FGDS to examine the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum 12.
A colonoscopy involves examining the bowel.
Submission of urine for analysis.
Ultrasound examination of the kidneys.
X-ray examination of the lungs.
All women should go to a gynecologist.
A bone marrow aspiration is performed.
Do a blood test to determine the level of serum iron.
How to treat?
Treatment of hypochromic anemia is based on the causes that caused it. To eliminate the clinic of anemia, iron preparations and vitamin B12 are used. It should be taken into account that vitamins do not linger in the body and are quickly excreted by the kidneys, so it will not be possible to achieve a lightning-fast effect.
Basic principles of therapy:
Preparations – sources of iron are prescribed for a period of 1 to 1,5 months. This allows you to increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Such medicines are: Ferrum Lek, Hemofer, Fenyuls. If the patient is shown drugs for parenteral administration, then treatment should be carried out in a hospital, since injections are associated with a high risk of developing an allergic reaction.
Cyanocobalamin is prescribed when the patient is diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency. The duration of the therapeutic course can be from 30 days to 2 months.
If a deficiency of folic acid is detected, oral intake will be required. The duration of therapy is a month.
Depending on individual indications, the doctor may prescribe drugs of various forms to the patient: in tablets, in capsules, in solution, in syrup, etc. Injection administration of drugs is indicated only if a person has an acute disease of the digestive system, or extremely difficult condition. In this case, the patient must be hospitalized.
Diet
Treatment of anemia involves adherence to dietary nutrition.
Basic rules to follow:
Every day a person should receive about 130-150 g of animal protein. And the emphasis should be on beef and veal. Protein is the basis for the synthesis of hemoglobin and red blood cells.
Fatty foods on the menu should be limited, as it has a negative effect on the blood formation process.
To increase the patient’s appetite, a variety of dishes should be introduced into his diet. It can be fish, meat, mushrooms.
The diet should contain foods that are a source of B vitamins – these are eggs, cottage cheese, yeast, fish. Every day you need to eat at least 100 g of liver.
Products that must be on the menu:
Liver, meat and fish with a low percentage of fat content. Especially useful is beef, which is a source of heme iron and vitamins.
Cottage cheese.
Mushrooms.
Eggs.
Bread.
Brewer’s yeast.
Pomegranate juice. It can also be diluted in equal proportions with beetroot juice.
Peas, lentils and beans.
Various berries are eaten as a source of vitamin C.
There are also foods that do not allow iron to be absorbed in the body. These include: cereals (millet and oatmeal), tea, herbs, whole milk, coffee, fatty foods. They should be removed from the menu.
Indicative menu for 1 day for a person with hypochromic anemia:
First meal: soft-boiled egg, millet porridge with apple, pomegranate juice.
Snack: cottage cheese and rosehip broth.
Lunch: vegetable soup, potato zrazy and boiled vegetables, fried liver, berry salad and compote.
Snack: yeast-based drink, baked beets.
Dinner: stewed beef ribs, salad with green peas, beans and vegetable oil, rowan juice.
Cooking recipes:
To prepare millet porridge, you need 0,25 kg of flakes and 0,5 liters of apple juice. The flakes are poured with juice and left to infuse overnight. In the morning, boil the porridge in a saucepan for 10 minutes.
To prepare baked beets, you need to wash them, grease with vegetable oil, sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven. The baking time is 45 minutes at 175°C.
Yeast drink. 100 g of live yeast are dissolved in 10 ml of water and left for an hour. After this time, the drink can be drunk.
Salad with berries: mix raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, add chopped banana and apple to them, pour lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey.
Rowan juice. Berries in the amount of 100 g are crushed, rowan flowers and mint (10 g) are added to them. For 2 tablespoons of the mixture, take 0,2 liters of boiling water, pour mountain ash into them, let it brew.
Prognosis and complications of hypochromic anemia
If treatment was started on time, then most often it is possible to completely get rid of anemia.
When therapy is absent, it threatens the following complications:
Immune forces weaken.
Children begin to lag behind in mental and physical development.
The heart works in an enhanced mode, which can lead to the development of cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
The liver increases in size.
Anemia becomes chronic.
The nervous system suffers.
disease prevention
To prevent the development of anemia, you need to eat right, adhering to a balanced menu. To do this, you need to include in your diet the liver and kidneys of beef, quail and chicken eggs, fresh vegetables and fruits.
Since women are at risk for developing anemia, they should donate blood for clinical analysis more often than men, which will allow timely detection of the disease. If a person, regardless of his gender and age, has found signs of anemia, then he should consult a doctor and begin treatment. Otherwise, serious health problems will not be avoided.