Table of contents:
- Definition
- What is anemia gravis?
- How common is this condition?
- Signs and symptoms
- What are the signs and symptoms of anemia gravis?
- Cause
- What causes anemia gravis?
- Risk factors
- What puts me at risk for this condition?
- 1. Vitamin deficiency
- 2. Certain diseases
- 3. Heredity
- Diagnosis
- How to diagnose this condition?
- 1. Examination of physical condition and symptoms
- Treatment
- What are the treatments for anemia gravis?
- 1. Blood transfusions
- 2. Taking supplements and additional vitamins
- 3. Treat the causes of anemia first
- Home Precautions
- How to prevent and treat anemia gravis at home?
Definition
What is anemia gravis?
Anemia gravis is a type of anemia that is classified as severe and is characterized by a hemoglobin level below 8 g / dL. Anemia gravis not only causes fatigue and weakness, but also risks causing complications in the form of damage to several organs.
How common is this condition?
Anemia gravis is a condition that can occur in pregnant women or people with chronic diseases, such as cancer or kidney disease. Consult a doctor if you think you have signs and symptoms of anemia.
Signs and symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of anemia gravis?
Signs and symptoms of anemia gravis may vary from person to person. However, the symptoms of anemia are severe and can last a long time. Here are the symptoms:
- Extreme tired
- Pale or yellowish skin
- Irregular heartbeat
- Frequent shortness of breath and chest pain
- Dizzy
- Cold hands and feet
- Headache
Cause
What causes anemia gravis?
The various causes of anemia divide this condition into several types. Anemia gravis is a condition caused by a lack of healthy red blood cells. This condition can occur due to heavy bleeding, such as accidents or falls.
In addition, serious physical injury can also damage the organs, blood vessels, and spine that produce blood.
Internal bleeding can also cause anemia gravis. Usually this can be caused due to disease conditions that attack your digestive system.
When the digestive system is disturbed, the nutrients and vitamins that aid in the production of red blood cells cannot be digested properly. Diseases that are at risk of causing bleeding in the digestive tract are colon polyps, colitis, and stomach ulcers.
Risk factors
What puts me at risk for this condition?
Anemia is a blood disorder that occurs when the red blood cells don't contain enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that carries oxygen from the lungs throughout the body.
When there is a lack of iron in your body, your bone marrow needs iron to make hemoglobin. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough red blood cells that contain hemoglobin.
So, what other things can increase your risk of developing anemia gravis?
1. Vitamin deficiency
A body that is deficient in vitamins, especially folate, vitamin B-12, and also vitamin C, cannot produce enough red blood cells. These three vitamins play a role in the production of red blood cells.
2. Certain diseases
Chronic diseases such as bone marrow disorders, cancer, HIV / AIDS infection, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, or chronic autoimmune disease are the trigger factors for anemia gravis.
Chronic illness can cause you to develop severe anemia for more than 3 months. These diseases generally affect the red blood cell production process, either directly or indirectly.
The side effects of taking certain medications for the treatment of the above diseases can also affect how the body produces adequate amounts of healthy red blood cells.
3. Heredity
Congenital or hereditary factors, can be one of the things that put you at risk for anemia gravis. Some inherited conditions can make the red blood cells form abnormally and their production is impaired.
As a result, oxygen cannot be maximized throughout the body. Abnormally shaped blood cells can also die prematurely, leading to anemia.
Diagnosis
How to diagnose this condition?
To diagnose anemia, your doctor may perform several tests, such as:
1. Examination of physical condition and symptoms
To diagnose anemia, your doctor may ask you about your medical history while doing a physical exam.
You can help by providing detailed answers about your symptoms, family medical history, what foods and medications you are taking. Your doctor will look for symptoms of anemia and other physical clues that may point to the cause.
2. Complete blood count (Complete Blood Count)
A complete blood count is used to count each of your blood cell counts based on a sample. For anemia, the doctor will focus on the levels of red blood cells (hematocrit) and hemoglobin in your blood.
Quoted from a document published by the World Health Organization, normal adult hematocrit values are generally between 40-52% for men, and 35% and 47% for women.
Meanwhile, normal hemoglobin counts in adults are generally 14-18 g / dL for men and 12-16 d / dL for women.
3. Other additional tests
Additional blood tests will likely be recommended by your doctor. Its function is to detect rare causes of anemia, such as immune attack on red blood cells, brittle red blood cells, or enzyme defects.
In addition, your doctor can also do a reticulocyte, bilirubin, and other urine count to determine how quickly your blood cells are made.
Only in rare cases will your doctor remove a bone marrow sample to determine the cause of your anemia.
Treatment
What are the treatments for anemia gravis?
Anemia can be treated with various treatment options according to its cause to its severity. The following treatments may be able to treat anemia gravis and avoid the risk of complications due to this type of anemia:
1. Blood transfusions
If you have anemia gravis, your doctor will give you a blood transfusion to increase the blood in your body.
Red blood cell transfusions can be given to patients with anemia gravis. Usually this treatment is given to people who have severe anemia who are experiencing active bleeding or have significant symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or weakness.
Transfusions are given to replace the deficient red blood cells and will not completely correct the iron deficiency problem.
2. Taking supplements and additional vitamins
Severe anemia that occurs due to nutritional deficiencies can be helped by taking blood-boosting supplements and vitamins. Your general practitioner recommends taking supplements for iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, or vitamin C.
3. Treat the causes of anemia first
Anemia usually occurs due to several specific causes. That is why your doctor will treat your anemia by addressing the underlying cause first. If your anemia is due to a chronic disease, your doctor will try to treat the disease first, then slowly improve the condition of your anemia.
For cases of anemia due to bone marrow disorders, the doctor will recommend a bone marrow transplant. This procedure is used to transfer healthy bone marrow cells to anemic patients. It is hoped that the patient's bone marrow can produce new, sufficient numbers of blood cells and is healthy.
Home Precautions
How to prevent and treat anemia gravis at home?
Some severe anemia conditions are generally preventable. You can help prevent severe anemia by choosing blood-boosting foods that contain nutrients, such as:
- Iron, can be obtained from beef, chicken, beans, lentils, cereals that contain iron and vegetables, such as spinach and mustard greens
- Folate (B9) and vitamin B12, from nuts, bread, cereals, pasta, and soy milk.
- Vitamin C, which comes from citrus fruits, melons, and strawberries to help increase iron absorption.
