Tips to prevent pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites chemicals and inhaled pollutants. The disease is extremely dangerous and life threatening, especially if those affected are young, elderly or those who are suffering from chronic diseases.
Here are some tips on how to avoid pneumonia: 

• Cover up coughs, use your elbow or with a throw away tissue. Do not use your hands.

• Wash hands frequently especially after using the restroom, after changing baby’s diaper, before and after – preparing food or eating and after sneezing or blowing your nose out.
• Avoid smoking since smokers are at a higher risk for pneumonia and other lung disorders than nonsmokers. Stay away from second hand smoke as well. Also, don’t get yourself in crowded and smoke-filled environment.
• Eat a healthy diet that includes foods that are rich in antioxidants. Recommended foods include fresh fruits and vegetables that are dark in color including blueberries, cranberries, eggplant and pomegranates.
• Take vitamin D and get some natural sunlight.
• Improve your lung capacity through exercise, including brisk walking and aerobics. Staying healthy may help keep your lungs strong and more resistant to infection.
• Keep vigal wipe down on all doorknobs, phones, cell phones, refrigerator doors, faucets, game controls, computer keyboards, light switches, the microwave and the number one germ monster in the house…TV remotes.

• Never forget to weak a face mask when working with harmful substances. Make sure you are protected when dealing with chemicals, asbestos and other materials that produce dust. Pneumonia can come your waty when you accidentally inhale them.
• Take extra precaution when handling materials that have bird or bat droppings. They may not be easily seen but most of them can be hidden in ledges an sills. Fungi that can cause pneumonia thrive on these droppings so beware. Disinfect immediately if you feel you have touched them. Becareful with rat droppings too as they can cause a fatl form of flu.
• Germs are able to fly out of your lungs at 600 mph when you cough or sneeze. They are the Superman of germs, they cover a lot of territory in search of innocent, unsuspecting victims.
• Do not shake hands. Instead, try to greet friends with a big smile and hello and say goodbye with a cheerful hand wave or blow them a kiss goodbye.
• Be aware that the pneumonia vaccine should be given to all infants under two years old. The vaccination should start at two months of age, and recur every two months. At 12 to 15 months, a booster dose should be given to complete the vaccination.

Now, do not forget to exercise, eat well, have plenty of chicken soup, stop smoking, take Vitamins C, Vitamin D and zinc, and get out in the sun to get some natural Vitamin D. That is why they call Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin.

Types of Pneumonia

Pneumonia, in its most basic definition, is an inflammation of the lungs. It is also known by the names Pneumonitis and Bronchopneumonia. Just as there are multiple causes of pneumonia, there are also multiple types of pneumonia. There are even more types of and names for pneumonia than listed in this article. The most widely-used classifications or types of pneumonia are based upon the cause of the illness.

Bacterial pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia is caused by various bacteria. The Streptococcus pneumonia is the most common bacterium that causes bacterial pneumonia.

It usually occurs when the body is weakened in some way, such as illness, malnutrition, old age, or impaired immunity, and the bacteria are able to work their way into the lungs. Bacterial pneumonia can affect all ages, but those at greater risk include the following:

• persons who abuse alcohol
• persons who are debilitated
• post-operative patients
• persons with respiratory diseases or viral infections
• persons who have weakened immune systems

The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia include:

• shaking, chills
• chattering teeth
• severe chest pain
• high temperature
• heavy perspiring
• rapid pulse
• rapid breathing
• bluish color to lips and nailbeds
• confused mental state or delirium
• cough that produces rust-colored or greenish mucus

Viral pneumonia

Viral pneumonia is caused by various viruses, and is the cause of half of all cases of pneumonia. A few of them include influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and adenovirus

Early symptoms of viral pneumonia are the same as those of bacterial pneumonia, which may be followed by increasing breathlessness and a worsening of the cough.
Viral pneumonias may make a person susceptible to bacterial pneumonia.
This type of pneumonia differs from bacterial in that it typically develops over time, the cough may worsen rather than improve over time, and there may be wheezing present.

 

Microplasma Pneumonia

Microplasmas are microscopic organisms that share characteristics of both bacteria and viruses. They symptoms of this type of pneumonia differ from those of bacterial and viral pneumonia.

Mycoplasma pneumonia
Mycoplasma pneumonia has somewhat different symptoms and physical signs. It is caused by mycoplasmas, the smallest free-living agents of disease in humankind, which have the characteristics of both bacteria or viruses, but which are not classified as either. They generally cause a mild, widespread pneumonia that affects all age groups. Symptoms include a severe cough that may produce some mucus.
Mycoplasma pneumonia often affects younger people and may be associated with symptoms outside of the lungs (such as anemia and rashes), and neurological syndromes (such as meningitis, myelitis, and encephalitis). Severe forms of Mycoplasma pneumonia have been described in all age groups.
In this type of pneumonia, typically a fever develops first. Worsening cough and developing over time are both also usually present.

Aspiration pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs and bronchial tubes caused by inhaling foreign material, usually food, drink, vomit, or secretions from the mouth into the lungs. This may progress to form a collection of pus in the lungs (lung abscess). Aspiration of foreign material (often the stomach contents) into the lung can be a result of disorders that affect normal swallowing, disorders of the esophagus (esophageal stricture, gastroesophageal reflux), or decreased or absent gag reflex (in unconscious, or semi-conscious individuals). Old age, dental problems, use of sedative drugs, anesthesia, coma, and excessive alcohol consumption are also causal or contributing factors. The response of the lungs depends upon the characteristics and amount of the aspirated substance. The more acidic the material, the greater the degree of lung injury, although this may not necessary lead to pneumonia.
Atypical pneumonia
Atypical pneumonia refers to pneumonia caused by certain bacteria - namely, Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. While atypical pneumonias are commonly associated with milder forms of pneumonia, pneumonia due to Legionella, in particular, can be quite severe and lead to high mortality rates. Atypical pneumonia due to Mycoplasma and Chlamydophila usually cause milder forms of pneumonia and are characterized by a more drawn out course of symptoms unlike other forms of pneumonia which can come on more quickly with more severe early symptoms.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of a group of herpes-type viruses that can cause an infection of the lungs in immune-suppressed persons. This infection is particularly common in solid organ transplant and bone marrow transplant recipients. Infection with CMV is very common. The majority of healthy adults have antibodies (an indication of previous infection) to CMV in their blood. Usually CMV produces no symptoms, but serious CMV infections can occur in people with impaired immunity, such as those with AIDS, organ transplant and bone marrow transplant recipients, and people receiving chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive treatments. CMV disease is a common complication of organ transplantation. CMV pneumonia occurs in 20% of bone marrow transplant recipients. CMV pneumonia is often present simultaneously with pneumocystis pneumonia. Decreased oxygen levels in the blood (hypoxemia) in association with CMV pneumonia often predicts a fatal outcome.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia
Hospital-acquired pneumonia is an infection of the lungs contracted during a hospital stay. Pneumonia is a very common illness. It is caused by many different organisms and can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. Hospital-acquired pneumonia tends to be more serious because defense mechanisms against infection are often impaired during a hospital stay, and the kinds of infecting organisms are more dangerous than those generally encountered in the community. Risk factors predisposing people to hospital-acquired pneumonia are alcoholism, older age, immunosuppression from medications or diseases, recent illness, and risk of aspiration.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a serious illness. It is the fourth most common cause of death in the UK, and sixth in the USA. 85% of cases of CAP are caused by the typical bacterial pathogens, namely, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. The remaining 15% are caused by atypical pathogens, namely Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Legionella species. Unusual aerobic gram-negative bacilli (for example, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter) rarely cause CAP.

Legionnaire's disease is an acute respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which can cause a broad spectrum of disease from mild cough and fever to a serious pneumonia. The bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease have been found in water delivery systems and can survive in the warm, moist, air conditioning systems of large buildings including hospitals. The infection is transmitted through the respiratory system. Person-to-person spread has not been proved. From the onset of symptoms, the condition typically worsens during the first 4 to 6 days, with improvement starting in another 4 to 5 days. Most infection occurs in middle-aged or older people, although it has been reported in children. Typically, the disease is less severe in children.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by the fungus Pneumocystis carinii. PCP is a pneumonia caused by the fungal organism Pneumocystis carinii, which is widespread in the environment, and is not a pathogen (does not cause illness) in healthy individuals. However, in individuals with weakened immune systems due to cancer, HIV/AIDS, solid organ and/or bone marrow transplantation, as well as individuals receiving chronic corticosteroids or other medications that affect the immune system, Pneumocystis carinii may lead to a lung infection. Individuals with advanced AIDS are of particular interest, since PCP was a relatively rare infection prior to the AIDS epidemic. Before the use of preventive antibiotics for PCP, up to 70% of individuals in the U.S. with advanced AIDS would develop PCP.
Pneumonia in an immunocompromised host describes a lung infection that occurs in a person whose infection-fighting mechanisms are significantly impaired. People who are immunocompromised have a defective immune response. Because of this, they are susceptible to infections by microorganisms that are present everywhere, but do not normally cause disease in healthy people. They are also more susceptible to the usual causes of pneumonia, which can affect anyone. Immunosuppression can be caused by HIV infection, leukemia, organ transplantation, bone marrow transplant, and medications to treat cancer.
Viral pneumonia is an inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the lungs caused by infection with a virus. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that affects 1 out of 100 people annually. Viral pneumonia is caused by one of several viruses, including influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus, herpes simplex virus, respiratory syncytial virus, hantavirus, and cytomegalovirus. Most cases of viral pneumonia are mild and get better without treatment, but some cases are more serious and require hospitalization. People at risk for more serious viral pneumonia typically have impaired immune systems such as people with HIV, transplant patients, young children (especially those with heart defects), the elderly, and people taking medications to suppress their immune systems in the treatment of autoimmune disorders.

Additionally, other names are given to describe a type of pneumonia. These names are more commonly known, though their meaning may not be.
Double pneumonia is pneumonia that affects both lobes of the lungs.
Walking pneumonia is a milder form of pneumonia that does not cause the patient to be bedridden, but still allows them to function, with perhaps limited capacity, in their every day life.
If a diagnosis of any type of pneumonia is received, it is important to consult the diagnosing physician for all relevant information pertaining to cause risks, treatment and prognosis.

Causes of pneumonia

Pneumonia is a common illness that affects millions of people each year. Germs called bacteria, viruses, and fungi may cause pneumonia. There are about 30 different causes of pneumonia. However, they all fall into one of these categories:

• Infective pneumonia: Inflammation and infection of the lungs and bronchial tubes that occurs when a bacteria (bacterial pneumonia) or virus (viral pneumonia) gets into the lungs and starts to reproduce.
• Aspiration pneumonia: An inflammation of the lungs and bronchial tubes caused by inhaling vomit, mucous, or other bodily fluids. Aspiration pneumonia can also be caused by inhaling certain chemicals.

Infective Pneumonia

Pneumonia caused by bacteria tends to be the most serious. The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in adults is a bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae or Pneumococcus. Pneumococcal pneumonia occurs only in the lobar form.
An increasing number of viruses are being identified as the cause of respiratory infection. Half of all pneumonias are believed to be of viral origin. Most viral pneumonias are patchy and the body usually fights them off without help from medications or other treatments.
Pneumococcus can affect more than the lungs. The bacteria can also cause serious infections of the covering of the brain (meningitis), the bloodstream, and other parts of the body.

Aspiration Pneumonia

Inhaling vomit, irritating fumes, or other substances can result in aspiration pneumonia. Agents such as petroleum solvents, dry cleaning fluid, lighter fluid, kerosene, gasoline, and liquid polishes and waxes are the most likely causes. Pulmonary edema, or fluids in the lung from injury, can develop rapidly. With repeated exposure, the lungs may lose elasticity and small airways may become obstructed. This can lead to increased reactive airway disease and chronic lung disease in adults.

Transmission

Ways you can get pneumonia include:

• Bacteria and viruses living in your nose, sinuses, or mouth may spread to your lungs.
• After breathe some of these germs directly into your lungs. This generally occurs during sleep.
• You breathe in (inhale) food, liquids, vomit, or secretions from the mouth into your lungs (aspiration pneumonia)
• During or after a viral upper respiratory infection, such as a cold or influenza (flu).
• As a complication of a viral illness, such as measles or chickenpox.
• If you breathe large amounts of food, gastric juices from the stomach, or vomit into the lungs (aspiration pneumonia). This can happen when you have had a medical condition that affects your ability to swallow, such as a seizure or stroke.

You can get pneumonia in your daily life, such as at school or work (community-associated pneumonia) or when you are in a hospital or nursing home (healthcare-associated pneumonia). Treatment may differ in healthcare-associated pneumonia because bacteria causing the infection in hospitals may be different from those causing it in the community.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or chemical irritants. It is a serious infection or inflammation in which the air sacs fill with pus and other liquid. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, one-third of all people who developed pneumonia subsequently died from the infection.

• Lobar pneumonia affects one or more sections (lobes) of the lungs.
• Bronchial pneumonia (or bronchopneumonia) affects patches throughout both lungs.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of pneumonia are:

·         Cough (with some pneumonias you may cough up greenish or yellow mucus, or even bloody mucus)

·         Fever, which may be mild or high

·         Shaking chills

·         Shortness of breath (may only occur when you climb stairs)

Additional symptoms include:

·         Confusion, especially in older people

·         Excessive sweating and clammy skin

·         Headache

·         Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue

·         Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is usually made based on the season and the extent of the illness. Based on these factors, your physician may diagnose simply on a thorough history and physical examination, but may include the tests to confirm the diagnosis.

If you have pneumonia, you may be working hard to breathe, or breathing fast. Crackles are heard when listening to your chest with a stethoscope. Other abnormal breathing sounds may also be heard through the stethoscope or via percussion (tapping on your chest wall).

• The health care provider will likely order a chest x-ray if pneumonia is suspected.

Some patients may need other tests, including

• Blood tests - to analyze the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood.
• Sputum culture - a diagnostic test performed on the material that is coughed up from the lungs and into the mouth. A sputum culture is often performed to determine if an infection is present.
• Pulse oximetry - an oximeter is a small machine that measures the amount of oxygen in the blood. To obtain this measurement, a small sensor (such as a Band-Aid) is taped onto a finger or toe. When the machine is on, a small red light can be seen in the sensor. The sensor is painless and the red light does not get hot.

·         Pleural fluid culture if there is fluid in the space surrounding the lungs

Treatment for pneumonia:

Specific treatment will be determined by your physician based on:

• your age, overall health, and medical history
• extent of the disease
• your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• expectations for the course of the disease
• your opinion or preference

Treatment may include antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia. Antibiotics may also speed recovery from mycoplasma pneumonia and some special cases. There is no clearly effective treatment for viral pneumonia, which usually heals on its own.

Other treatment may include appropriate diet, oxygen therapy, pain medication, and medication for cough.

You can take these steps at home:

·         Control your fever with aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen), or acetaminophen. DO NOT give aspirin to children.

·         Do not take cough medicines without first talking to your doctor. Cough medicines may make it harder for your body to cough up the extra sputum.

·         Drink plenty of fluids to help loosen secretions and bring up phlegm.

·         Get lots of rest. Have someone else do household chores.

Expectations (prognosis)

With treatment, most patients will improve within 2 weeks. Elderly or debilitated patients may need longer treatment.
Those who may be more likely to have complicated pneumonia include:

·         Older adults or very young children

·         People whose immune system does not work well

·         People with other, serious medical problems such as diabetes or cirrhosis of the liver

Your doctor may want to make sure your chest x-ray becomes normal again after you take a course of antibiotics. However, it may take many weeks for your x-ray to clear up.

Complications

Possible complications include:

·         Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of respiratory failure

·         Empyema or lung abscesses. These are infrequent, but serious, complications of pneumonia. They occur when pockets of pus form inside or around the lung. These may sometimes need to be drained with surgery.

·         Respiratory failure, which requires a breathing machine or ventilator

·         Sepsis, a condition in which there is uncontrolled swelling (inflammation) in the body, which may lead to organ failure

Call your doctor if you have:

·         Worsening respiratory symptoms

·         Shortness of breath, shaking chills, or persistent fevers

·         Rapid or painful breathing

·         A cough that brings up bloody or rust-colored mucus

·         Chest pain that worsens when you cough or inhale

·         Night sweats or unexplained weight loss

·         Signs of pneumonia and weak immune system, as with HIV or chemotherapy

Infants with pneumonia may not have a cough. Call your doctor if your infant makes grunting noises or the area below the rib cage is retracting while breathing.

Prevention

Wash your hands frequently, especially after blowing your nose, going to the bathroom, diapering, and before eating or preparing foods.
Don't smoke. Tobacco damages your lung's ability to ward off infection.
Vaccines may help prevent pneumonia in children, the elderly, and people with diabetes, asthma, emphysema, HIV, cancer, or other chronic conditions:

·         A drug called Synagis (palivizumab) is given to some children younger than 24 months to prevent pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus.

·         Flu vaccine prevents pneumonia and other problems caused by the influenza virus. It must be given yearly to protect against new virus strains.

·         HIV vaccine prevents pneumonia in children from Haemophilus influenzae type b.

·         Pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax, Prevnar) lowers your chances of getting pneumonia from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

If you have cancer or HIV, talk to your doctor about additional ways to prevent pneumonia and other infections.

Tips for prevention anemia

Prevention is always better than a cure, and preventing anemia is better than trying to cure it. Whether anemia can be prevented depends on its cause. Preventing anemia means you have to have enough red blood cells in your body. This can be done with a proper diet, enough sleep and exercise to keep your body healthy and producing enough red blood cells to keep anemia away. Here are some of the ways to prevent it.

1.     Eat fruits and vegetables rich in iron like bananas, black grapes, plums, strawberries, raisins, onions, squash, carrots, radish, celery, and tomatoes.

2.     Cold water baths are also very effective natural cure for anemia.

3.     Take beet juice regularly. It is rich in potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, iodine, iron, copper, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins B1 B2, B6, niacin, and vitamin P and helps in the formation of red blood cells.

4.      Eat leafy vegetable such as dry lotus stems, cauliflower greens, and turnip greens etc. as they are very rich in iron. It helps in the formation of haemoglobin and red blood cells.

5.      Soak 5-6 almonds in water for about 2 hours and ground into a paste after removing the thin red skin. This paste may be eaten once daily in the morning for three months. It is a useful remedy for anemia.

6.     Take honey daily for building haemoglobin in the body. It is rich in iron, copper, and manganese.

7.     Cow's milk consumption. During the first 6 months of life, babies are usually protected against developing iron deficiency by the stores of iron built up in their bodies before birth. But after month 6, they often don't get enough iron through breast milk alone or regular cow's milk (which contains less iron than fortified infant formula). Regular cow's milk can cause some infants to lose iron from their intestines, and drinking lots of it can make a baby less interested in eating other foods that are better sources of iron.

8.     Iron-fortified cereal and formula. These products can help ensure that your baby is getting enough iron, especially during the transition from breast milk or formula to solid foods.

9.     Well-balanced diet. Make sure that your kids regularly eat foods that contain iron. Good choices include iron-fortified grains and cereals, red meat, egg yolks, leafy green vegetables, yellow vegetables and fruits, potato skins, tomatoes, molasses, and raisins.

10. If your child is a vegetarian, you'll need to make an extra effort to ensure sufficient iron sources because iron found in meat, poultry, and fish is more easily absorbed than iron found in plant-based and iron-fortified foods.

Also, be aware that certain food combinations can inhibit or promote absorption of iron. For example, drinking coffee or tea (including iced tea) with a meal can significantly lower the amount of iron absorbed. On the other hand, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron.

Causes of anemia

Many medical conditions cause anemia. Common causes of anemia include the following:

• Anemia from active bleeding: Loss of blood through heavy menstrual bleeding or, wounds can cause anemia. Gastrointestinal ulcers or cancers such as cancer of the colon may slowly ooze blood and can also cause anemia.
• Iron deficiency anemia: The bone marrow needs iron to make red blood cells. Iron plays an important role in the proper structure of the hemoglobin molecule. If iron intake is limited or inadequate due to poor dietary intake, anemia may occur as a result. This is called iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia can also occur when there are stomach ulcers or other sources of slow, chronic bleeding (colon cancer, uterine cancer, intestinal polyps, hemorrhoids, etc). In these kinds of scenarios, because of ongoing, chronic slow blood loss, iron is also lost from the body (as a part of blood) at a higher rate than normal and can result in iron deficiency anemia.
• Anemia of chronic disease: Any long-term medical condition can lead to anemia. The exact mechanism of this process in unknown, but any long-standing and ongoing medical condition such as a chronic infection or a cancer may cause this type of anemia.
• Anemia related to kidney disease: The kidneys release a hormone called the erythropoietin that helps the bone marrow make red blood cells. In people with chronic (long-standing) kidney disease, the production of this hormone is diminished, and this in turn diminishes the production of red blood cells, causing anemia. This is called anemia related to chronic kidney disease.
• Anemia related to pregnancy: Water weight gain during pregnancy dilutes the blood, which may be reflected as anemia.
• Anemia related to poor nutrition: Vitamins and minerals are required to make red blood cells. In addition to iron, vitamin B12 and folate are required for the proper production of hemoglobin. Deficiency in any of these may cause anemia because of inadequate production of red blood cells. Poor dietary intake is an important cause of low folate and low vitamin B12 levels. Strict vegetarians who do not take sufficient vitamins are at risk to develop vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Pernicious Anemia: There also may be a problem in the stomach or the intestines leading to poor absorption of vitamin B12. This may lead to anemia because of vitamin B12 deficiency known as pernicious anemia.
• Sickle cell anemia: In some individuals, the problem may be related to production of abnormal hemoglobin molecules. In this condition the hemoglobin problem is qualitative, or functional. Abnormal hemoglobin molecules may cause problems in the integrity of the red blood cell structure and they may become crescent-shaped (sickle cells). There are different types of sickle call anemia with different severity levels. This is typically hereditary and is more common in those of African, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean ancestry.
• Thalassemia: This is another group of hemoglobin-related causes of anemia. There are many types of thalassemia, which vary in severity from mild (thalassemia minor) to severe (thalassemia major). These are also hereditary, but they cause quantitative hemoglobin abnormalities, meaning an insufficient amount of the correct hemoglobin type molecules is made. Thalassemia is more common in people from African, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian ancestries.
• Alcoholism: Poor nutrition and deficiencies of vitamins and minerals are associated with alcoholism. Alcohol itself may also be toxic to the bone marrow and may slow down the red blood cell production. The combination of these factors may lead to anemia in alcoholics.
• Bone marrow-related anemia: Anemia may be related to diseases involving the bone marrow. Some blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphomas can alter the production of red blood cells and result in anemia. Other processes may be related to a cancer from another organ spreading to the bone marrow.
• Aplastic anemia: Occasionally some viral infections may severely affect the bone marrow and significantly diminish production of all blood cells. Chemotherapy (cancer medications) and some other medications may pose the same problems.
• Hemolytic anemia: The normal red blood cell shape is important for its function. Hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia in which the red blood cells rupture (known as hemolysis) and become dysfunctional. This could happen due to a variety of reasons. Some forms of hemolytic anemia can be hereditary with constant destruction and rapid reproduction of red blood cells (for example, as in hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or G6GD deficiency) . This type of destruction may also happen to normal red blood cells in certain conditions, for example, with abnormal heart valves damaging the blood cells or certain medications that disrupt the red blood cell structure.
• Anemia related to medications: Many common medications can occasionally cause anemia as a side effect in some individuals. The mechanisms by which medications can cause anemia are numerous (hemolysis, bone marrow toxicity) and are specific to the medication. Medications that most frequently cause anemia are chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancers. Other common medications that can cause anemia include some seizure medications, transplant medications, HIV medications, some malaria medications, some antibiotics (penicillin, chloramphenicol), antifungal medications, and antihistamines.
• Other less common causes of anemia include thyroid problems, cancers, liver disease, autoimmune diseases (lupus), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), lead poisoning, AIDS, malaria, viral hepatitis, mononucleosis, parasitic infections (hookworm), bleeding disorders, and insecticide exposure. It is noteworthy that there are many other potential causes of anemia that are not included in this list as these are only some of the more common and important ones.

Important factors to remember are:

• Certain forms of anemia are hereditary and infants may be affected from the time of birth.
• Women in the childbearing years are particularly susceptible to a form of anemia called iron-deficiency anemia because of the blood loss from menstruation and the increased blood supply demands during pregnancy.

Seniors also may have a greater risk of developing anemia because of poor diet and other medical conditions.

Anemia

Anemia, one of the most common blood disorders, occurs when the level of healthy red blood cells (RBCs) in the body becomes too low. This can lead to health problems because RBCs contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body's tissues. Anemia can cause a variety of complications, including fatigue and stress on bodily organs. Women and people with chronic diseases are at increased risk of anemia.

Signs and Symptoms

Anemia may cause a variety of signs and symptoms. It can also make almost any other underlying medical condition worse. If anemia is mild, it may not cause any symptoms. If anemia is slowly ongoing (chronic), the body may adapt and compensate for the change; in this case there may not be any symptoms until the anemia becomes more severe.

Symptoms:

• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Decreased energy
• Weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations (feeling of the heart racing or beating irregularly)
• Looking pale
• Headaches
• Problems concentrating
• Shortness of breath (especially during exercise)

Symptoms of severe anemia may include:

• Chest pain, angina, or heart attack
• Dizziness or light-headedness (especially when standing up or with exertion)
• Fainting or passing out
• Rapid heart rate
• If the anemia is caused by excessive destruction of RBCs, symptoms also may include jaundice, a yellowing of the whites of the eyes, an enlarged spleen, and dark tea-colored urine.

Types of anemia:

 

There are many types of anemia. All are very different in their causes and treatments.

• Iron-deficiency anemia
• Vitamin deficiency anemia
• Anemia caused by chronic disease
• Aplastic anemia
• Leukemia
• Hemolytic anemia
• Sickle cell anemia

Iron-deficiency anemia, the most common type, is very treatable with diet changes and iron supplements. Some forms of anemia develops during pregnancy, some types of anemia may present lifelong health problems.

Tests

• Blood tests used to diagnose some common types of anemia may include
• Blood levels of vitamin B12, folic acid, and other vitamins and minerals
• Bone marrow examination
• Red blood count and hemoglobin level
• Reticulocyte count
• Ferritin level
• Iron level

Complications

Severe anemia can cause low oxygen levels in vital organs such as the heart, and can lead to a heart attack. 

Herbal Remedies for Anemia

 Eat the seeds of fenugreek as it is rich in iron. The leaves of fenugreek also help in blood formation.
2. Soak 1 teaspoon of the Black sesame seeds in warm water for a couple of hours, they should be ground and strained, and then mixed with a cup of milk and sweetened with jaggery or sugar. This emulsion should be given to patients suffering from anemia. Black sesame seeds are rich source of iron and works very effectively in the treatment of anemia.

Treatment:

Self-Care at Home

Very little can be done to self-treat anemia and medical treatment is generally needed. It is important to continue to take any medication that is prescribed for other chronic (long-lasting) medical problems. If the reason for anemia is known, then measures to keep it under control are very important. For example, if anemia is caused by a stomach ulcer, then medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen should be avoided, unless otherwise directed by a doctor.

Medical Treatment

Medical treatment of anemia varies widely and depends on the cause and the severity of anemia.If anemia is mild and associated with no symptoms or minimal symptoms, a thorough investigation by a doctor will be done in the outpatient setting (doctor's office). If any cause is found, then appropriate treatment will be started.

For example, if anemia is mild and is found to be related to low iron levels, then iron supplements may be given while further investigation to determine the cause of the iron deficiency is carried out. On the other hand, if anemia is related to sudden blood loss from an injury or a rapidly bleeding stomach ulcer, then hospitalization and transfusion of red blood cells may be required to relieve the symptoms and replace the lost blood. Further measures to control the bleeding may occur at the same time to stop further blood loss.

Blood transfusion may be required in other less critical circumstances as well. For example, an individual who is receiving chemotherapy for a cancer may be expected by the treating physician to have bone marrow problems related to the chemotherapy. Therefore, the doctor may check blood counts routinely, and if the levels get to a low enough level, he or she may order a red blood cell transfusion to help with the symptoms of anemia.

Corticosteroids or other medicines that suppress the immune system

Erythropoietin, a medicine that helps your bone marrow makes more blood cells

Supplements of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, or other vitamins and minerals.

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