Published on 04/11/2011

Of the different types, iron deficiency anaemia is the most common among women. DR BRIGID MONDA sheds more light on it

Blood is life — it feeds every cell in the body, gets rid of all the waste products, protects the body from infection and repairs any damage the body may sustain.

Without it, we cannot survive. Our blood is a thick red fluid pumped around the body by the heart. Blood is made up of two main components — plasma, the liquid part and a large number of different cells suspended in it.

The red blood cells are crucial as they contain a red pigment called haemoglobin that gives blood its red colour. They transport oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body.

The oxygen that we breathe in is absorbed through our lungs into the blood and is then carried by the haemoglobin in the red blood cells to all the other cells in the body. these other cells are all active factories working day and night to keep us alive and they need oxygen to perform their tasks. these little factories all produce waste products like carbon dioxide, which has to be disposed of before it accumulates and poisons the whole system.

This carbon dioxide is carried by the haemoglobin back to the lungs where it is expelled from the body as we breathe out.

Lack of oxygen

When one’s haemoglobin level is below that which is normal for one’s given age and sex, the person is said to have anaemia.

The low levels of haemoglobin translate into a lower oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and a poorer supply of oxygen to the tissues, which then causes the typical symptoms of anaemia.

The person is pale because of the decreased level of redness of the blood and because blood is shunted from the peripheral organs like the skin to the more essential ones like the brain and kidneys.

The affected person is hypersensitive to cold also because of poorer skin blood flow; they are dizzy and have headaches because the brain is not getting enough oxygen.

They get palpitations because the heart pumps faster than normal to get this blood with its low oxygen content to the vital organs of the body. if the anaemia is severe, the heart will fail. Anaemia also lowers resistance to infection and increases chances of miscarriage. there are different types of anaemia with as many different causes. of these, iron deficiency anemia is the most common and mostly affects women. Iron is required for the manufacture of haemoglobin by the body and a lack of it causes iron deficiency anemia.

Common causes of iron deficiency anaemia are an iron deficient diet, poor iron absorption due to certain intestinal diseases, hookworm infection, malaria, heavy menstrual bleeding, poorly spaced pregnancies which deplete iron stores, blood loss from bleeding peptic ulcers or piles.

Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia is caused by a lack of vitamin B12, which is also essential for formation of haemoglobin. It may be due to a deficient diet particularly in vegetarians, disease of the small intestine causing poor absorption of the vitamin like in Crohn’s or Coeliac disease or one’s stomach may not secrete enough of a special factor that enables the vitamin to be absorbed.

Anaemia itself is not a disease but a sign of another underlying problem. So when correcting it the underlying problem has to be treated too.

For example, for nutritional anemia like iron deficiency anaemia or vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia, treatment of the primary cause like worm infections, malaria, bleeding ulcers and vegetarian diet are addressed first and then supplements and an improved diet do the trick.

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Low blood pressure symptoms (hypotension) are side effects of bulimia and anorexia. what causes low blood pressure in people with eating disorders, and what’s really going on inside the bodies of anorexics and bulimics?

Low blood pressure symptoms are probably more common in anorexia sufferers. Self starvation and malnutrition have their own symptoms and side effects. All of this adds to the already-complicated treatment of anorexia or bulimia.

One of the things that happens during starvation is muscle atrophy — which means that the muscles are shrinking or deteriorating. Keeping in mind that the heart is a muscle, you can see where this is going.

because of the reduced size of the heart, blood flow is diminished, which results in symptoms of low blood pressure, as well as (but not limited to) reduced body temperature and dehydration.

Hypotension, like most eating disorders, can be difficult to detect in the sense that sometimes the individual shows no symptoms, and may appear to be perfectly well. some people might get a low blood pressure headache, while others could be burdened with symptoms and be catastrophically unwell.

If you experience any of the following low blood pressure symptoms, it might be a good idea to see your physician to ensure that there’s nothing serious going on.

if you have (or have had) and eating disorder, hopefully you’re already being monitored closely by a doctor to make sure that things don’t get worse.

• Headache
• Dizziness, feeling “wobbly”
• Fainting
• Fast, shallow breathing
• Increased anxiety attack symptoms; feelings of panic or doom
• Feeling cold
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feelings of nausea

If you feel any numbness, weakness, chest pain, or experience fainting spells call 911 immediately. These symptoms are similar to that of a heart attack or stroke, and you should be seen by a doctor ASAP.

When it comes to low blood pressure readings, everyone is different. Having a lower BP can actually be a good thing because your risk of getting heart disease or stroke will be significantly reduced.

What doctors consider to be a clinically low blood pressure reading is something around 90/60. if your BP is less than that, it’s probably not enough to set off the alarm bells because this could be normal for you.

when headaches, dizziness and/or fainting occur, those could be signs of a sudden drop in blood pressure, and would be cause for concern.

One of the benefits of regular, annual check-ups with your doctor is that he/she will become familiar with your vital signs and normal heart rate. He/she can establish a baseline for what is normal in your situation, and if anything seems off, your doctor should pick up on it fairly quickly.