General description of the disease
This is an oncological pathology of the hematopoietic system, which includes a large group of diseases of different etiology.[3].
In leukemia, bone marrow cells do not produce normal white blood cells, but mutate and become cancerous. Leukemia or leukemia differs from other types of oncological diseases in that cancer cells do not form a tumor, but are located in the bone marrow, in the blood or in internal organs. The bone marrow is replaced by cancer cells and does not produce enough healthy blood cells. Because of this, a deficiency of platelets, leukocytes and erythrocytes occurs in the blood. Defective white blood cells are unable to function normally, and the body becomes susceptible to infections.
Leukemia is considered the most common cancer in children, accounting for about 30% of all cancer pathologies.
Types of leukemia
Acute leukemia develops as a result of the degeneration of immature blood cells. Unripe cells undergo malignant transformation and stop developing normally. This type of leukemia was called acute, since some 50 years ago such a pathology led to the death of the patient. These days, this form of leukemia responds successfully to therapy, especially in the early stages.
Children aged 3-5 years and, as a rule, men 60-70 years old are especially susceptible to acute leukemia.
Chronic or slowly developing the form most often occurs in adolescents and adults aged 50-60 years. In chronic leukemia, already mature blood cells are reborn.
Causes of leukemia
The exact causes of leukemia have not yet been established. To date, 60-70% of the causes of leukemia have not been clarified. However, a number of risk factors can be identified that inhibit cerebral hematopoiesis, which include:
- 1 damage to the body by viral and infectious diseases, while healthy cells can degenerate into atypical ones;
- 2 smoking;
- 3 genetic predisposition, especially from father to children;
- 4 genetic disorders – Down syndrome, neurofibromatosis;
- 5 toxic effects on the body of chemical compounds – pesticides, solvents, some drugs;
- 6 side effect after chemotherapy;
- 7 pathologies of the circulatory system – anemia and others.
Under the influence of any reason, undifferentiated cells begin to multiply in the bone marrow, which crowd out healthy ones. For the development of leukemia, only one cancer cell is enough, which quickly divides, cloning cancer cells. Atypical cells with blood are carried throughout the body and form metastases in vital organs.
Symptoms of leukemia
The onset of the disease is usually asymptomatic. The patient feels normal until the affected cells begin to spread through the circulatory system. Then anemia appears, the patient constantly feels tired, complains of shortness of breath and tachycardia. Due to a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood, hemophilia may develop. Therefore, bleeding of the gums, a tendency to non-healing bruises, nasal, uterine and gastric bleeding are possible. Then there are pains in the spine, legs, up to lameness.
In some forms of leukemia, the temperature may rise, the patient’s appetite disappears. Often leukemia cells affect cells of the liver, spleen, skin, kidneys and brain, so the liver and spleen may be slightly enlarged, and pain in the abdomen is possible.
With lymphoblastic leukemia, the lymph nodes in the neck or groin are affected and, accordingly, enlarged; on palpation, the patient does not experience pain.
If leukemic cells invade the kidneys, renal failure develops.
With leukemic pneumonia, the patient complains of hoarse breathing, dry cough and shortness of breath.
The chronic form of leukemia can proceed without obvious symptoms for several years.
Alertness about leukemia should be caused by:
- inflammation and bleeding of the gums;
- recurrent tonsillitis;
- weight loss;
- night sweats;
- pallor of the skin;
- tendency to bleeding on the skin;
- enlarged lymph nodes after infections.
Complications of leukemia
The acute form of leukemia occurs suddenly, rapidly progresses and can lead to the death of the patient.
On the part of the vascular system, the spread of cancer cells can lead to closure of the lumen with leukemic blood clots and result in a heart attack.
With the penetration of leukemic cells into the lining of the brain and the patient, neuroleukemia develops. In this case, the patient may have fainting, convulsions, dizziness, vomiting.
With the penetration of metostasis into vital organs, the patient may experience headaches, cough, shortness of breath, itching of the skin, intense uterine and nosebleeds.
If the patient’s skin is damaged, nodules may appear on the surface of the skin, merging with each other.
Leukemia prevention
There are no specific preventive measures against leukemia. For people with severe heredity and people whose professional activities are associated with radioactive and toxic substances, early diagnosis is important.
General preventive measures of leukemia are a healthy lifestyle, moderate regular physical activity, proper nutrition, and seasonal vitamin therapy.
Treatment of leukemia in mainstream medicine
The sooner you start leukemia therapy, the more likely it is to recover. The type of complex treatment depends on the stage and type of pathology. First of all, the patient needs to consult a hematologist. Depending on the symptoms, a surgeon, dermatologist, ENT doctor, gynecologist or dentist are then brought in.
A patient with leukemia needs chemotherapy to kill the leukemic cells. In this case, antineoplastic agents can be combined. Treatment begins with induction therapy, the duration of which should be 4-5 weeks.
Good results in the treatment of leukemia can be achieved with the help of bone marrow transplantation. To do this, first, the patient’s blood cells are irradiated and they are destroyed, and then healthy donor cells with an identical type of tissue are injected into the bone marrow. The donor, as a rule, is the patient’s close relatives.
Therapy of leukemia is possible only in a hospital setting, since the patient’s body is weakened and the possibility of infection cannot be allowed.
Useful foods for leukemia
For patients with leukemia, it is important to have a fortified, properly balanced diet, since during the period of therapy, patients experience weakness due to anemia and the toxic effects of chemotherapy. Therefore, the patient’s diet should include:
- 1 foods with a lot of vitamin C and trace elements that help restore red blood cells;
- 2vegetables such as corn, horseradish, pumpkin, red cabbage, zucchini, red beets;
- 3 fruits: dark grapes, strawberries, pomegranates, oranges, blueberries, cherries;
- 4 porridge made from millet, buckwheat and rice;
- 5 seafood and fish such as herring, mackerel, trout, cod;
- 6 dairy products: low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, pasteurized milk;
- 7 rabbit meat;
- 8 offal: liver, tongue, kidneys;
- 9 honey and propolis;
- 10 spinach;
- 11 black currant berries;
- 12 a decoction of rosehip berries.
Traditional medicine for leukemia
Treatment of leukemia with folk remedies cannot replace hospital therapy, but it may well be an adjunct to the treatment prescribed by a hematologist.
- a decoction of periwinkle flowers has a good antitumor effect;
- to cleanse lymph, 1 liter of grapefruit and orange juice is mixed with 300 g of lemon juice and 2 liters of water are added. Take 3 days in a row, 100 g every 30 minutes, while not eating anything[1];
- as much fresh blueberries as possible or a decoction of the leaves and stems of the plant;
- pour birch buds with water in a ratio of 1:10 and insist for 3 weeks, take 1 tsp. three times a day;
- take 4 times a day for 150-200 g of baked pumpkin;
- drink as tea a decoction of lingonberry leaves;
- 1 tbsp. Pour ½ l of vodka with peeled cedar nuts, leave in the dark for 14 days and drink 3 rubles a day, 1 tsp.[2];
- consume 2 r per day for 1 tbsp. steamed flax seeds;
- drink tea from strawberry herb;
- consume 3 r per day for 1 tsp. pollen with milk.
Dangerous and harmful foods for leukemia
Patients with leukemia should refuse:
- meat with refractory fats – pork, lamb, beef, as well as lard, as they contribute to the formation of blood clots.
- in order for iron to be better absorbed, it is necessary to exclude products containing caffeine: tea, coffee, Pepsi-Cola;
- limit the intake of foods that thin the blood, such as oregano, curry, ginger, viburnum, garlic;
- rich pastries, strong broths and legumes with a low level of neutrophils;
- vinegar and pickled vegetables, as they destroy blood cells.
- Herbalist: golden recipes for traditional medicine / Comp. A. Markov. – M .: Eksmo; Forum, 2007 .– 928 p.
- Popov A.P. Herbal textbook. Treatment with medicinal herbs. – LLC “U-Factoria”. Yekaterinburg: 1999.— 560 p., Ill.
- Wikipedia, article “Leukemia”
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Attention!
The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!