Home Treatment for Anemia

What is anemia? What causes anemia? What are the common signs and symptoms of anemia? The list of anemia treatment below includes the use of herbs for anemia and recommended foods for anemia.

If you've been diagnosed with anemia, what it means is your body doesn't have enough red blood cells. One of the signs that you are anemic is you are always feeling tired or weak. This is because the human body requires healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. When the organs and tissues in your body don't receive sufficient oxygen, you are bound to feel the lack of energy and exhausted.

The common symptoms of anemia are abnormal pale skin, feeling dizzy or lightheaded when you stand up, cold hands and feet or chills, headache and chest pain. Anemia symptoms may also include irregular heartbeat, swollen or sore tongue, shortness of breath and having difficulty to focus or concentrate.

There are several types of anemia. Iron deficiency anemia for example is caused by the lack of iron in your body. If your body lacks vitamin B12 or folic acid, you may have what is termed as vitamin deficiency anemia. Both these types of anemia are temporary because they are easily treatable. When your body gets the nutrients it needs, your level will go back to normal again.

The serious types of anemia include aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia and anemia of chronic disease. Aplastic anemia happens when the bone marrow has lost its ability to produce blood cells due to infection, an autoimmune disease or drug. Hemolytic anemia occurs when the red blood cells are destroyed faster than the production of red blood cells.

Sickle cell anemia is a condition in which the red blood cells form sickle or crescent shape and are unable to flow through the blood vessels. Furthermore, the sickle-shaped red blood cells die easily. Anemia of chronic disease is the result of the interference of red blood cells production due to a chronic illness such as Crohn's disease, cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment for anemia No. 1 - Increase iron intake

The human body needs iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid to produce hemoglobin and red blood cells. Hemoglobin is an iron based protein that assists the red blood cells to transport oxygen. It is also responsible for the red color of the blood.

Iron deficiency can happen because you are not getting enough of it in your diet, loss of blood due to menstruation, bleeding stomach ulcer, malabsorption of iron because of gastrointestinal surgery, pregnancy, lactation and growth spurts especially in children.

The treatment for anemia due to iron deficiency is to eat foods that contain high source of iron or to take iron supplement. Foods that are rich in iron include meat such as lamb, liver, chicken, duck, turkey, clams, mussels, oysters, sardines, broccoli, kale, turnip greens, collards, lima beans, green peas, canned baked beans, soybeans and iron enriched white bread and pasta. If you take iron supplement, include vitamin C so that it helps with absorption and prevent stomach upset.

Treatment for anemia No. 2 - Increase B12 and folic acid

Folic acid or vitamin B9 and vitamin B12 work together to normalize the formation of red blood cells and assist iron to function properly in the body. Folic acid also plays a role in ensuring the proper formation and function of white blood cells.

The natural treatment for anemia caused by vitamin B12 and folate deficiency is to increase the amount of foods that contain these vitamins. Some examples of foods high in folic acid are green vegetables such as spinach and lettuce, almonds, brown rice, fortified bread and breakfast cereals, chicken giblets, eggs, fruits and legumes. Foods that are rich source of vitamin B12 are liver, beef, clams, trout, breakfast cereals, haddock, tuna, Swiss cheese and plain yogurt.

Treatment for anemia No. 3 - Herbal remedies for anemia

Herbs that have been used as treatment for anemia are alfalfa, dandelion, dong quai, fenugreek, parsley, rhodiola rosea, stinging nettle and yellow dock. These herbal extracts are available in capsules, liquid extract and tincture and you can take any of them as a supplement. You can also make herbal tea or spice tea from the dried roots, leaves, seeds of flowers. But before you use any of the herbs as treatment for anemia, please check with your doctor.

Alfalfa is considered as an anti-anemic herb. It contains vitamin C and is beneficial if your body has trouble absorbing iron. Because dandelion and fenugreek contain iron, they are beneficial in treating the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia. Dong quai is high in iron and has been used in Chinese traditional medicine as treatment for anemia.

Parsley is a good source of iron and vitamin C and both are beneficial to support healthy red blood cells. Rhodiola rosea was used as a traditional medicine by the people in the cold mountains to treat anemia. Spirulina contains folate, iron and vitamin B12 and many other nutrients. Yellow dock has been used as treatment for anemia because it supports healthy blood and iron deficiency symptoms.

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