Taking your diet for granted? ~ Life Stylzz

Your health depends a lot on what you eat. Follow a healthy diet — you'll be grateful in the long run.

Anaemia affects thousands of people around the world — some aren't even aware they suffer from it until symptoms become rather severe. The body is composed of White Blood Cells (WBC) and Red Blood Cells (RBC). Anaemia is defined as a decrease in RBC mass. "Red cells carry an important oxygen carrying molecule called haemoglobin. Decreased number of red cells means corresponding lesser amount of haemoglobin available and hence lesser oxygen carried by the blood (red cells) to different parts of the body for nutrition," says Physician Dr Amit Saraf.

Interventional Cardiologist Dr Vijay Surase says that iron-deficiency anaemia is the most common form of malnutrition in the world. "Anaemia can be a temporary condition, a consequence of other health conditions or a chronic problem. People with mild anaemia may not have symptoms or have only ones. People with severe anaemia may have problems carrying out routine activities and can feel tired or experience shortness of breath with activity," explains Dr Surase.

Causes
It is caused by nutritional deficiency of iron — blood loss, stomach or intestinal ulcers, worm infestations, excess menstrual loss etc are common reasons. "It is highly prevalent among women of reproductive age because of demands of child-bearing, high fertility rates, and breastfeeding," says Dr Surase.

Treatment
Every cellular function requires oxygen. The brain requires oxygen more than other organs. Lack of oxygen leads to nutritional deficiency to every organ of the body. "Most complaints include lethargy, breathlessness, extreme fatigue, headaches, dizziness, sometimes chest pains and palpitations. Often it is caused by a faulty or inadequate diet, so dietary modifications, which include recommended amounts of veggies and fruits and if permitted non-vegetarian food, should be instituted. Treatment of other causes such as gastric ulcers, certain congenital genetic conditions also forms the mainstay of therapy. Prevention is the best form of treatment. A good diet should prevent anaemia. Include at least two fruits and one portion of green vegetables a day, a non-vegetarian dish once a week and few dry fruits daily. Fruits like oranges, sweet limes, mangoes, apples, pineapples etc are all rich sources of iron," says Dr Saraf.

When you do not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your tissues, it makes you feel very tired. Signs vary according to the type of anaemia. Although they can be mild initially, symptoms tend to worsen over time. Once your doctor has diagnosed you, treatment depends upon the cause. Iron supplements, vitamin and folic acid supplements — oral or as injections are good for iron deficiency, blood loss or malnutrition. In other cases, blood transfusion may also be required. Severe forms require a bone marrow transplant," concludes Dr Parul Sheth.