Anemia is a condition where the production of red blood cells in the blood is lowered and thereby oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is reduced. Anemia may occur in people of all age groups from children to elderly. Children who are not able to concentrate or remember what they study when investigated show a low hemoglobin count, thereby being anemic. Anemia is presented with some very classic signs, which if seen in a person, a detail blood test will need to be done for confirmation of the condition and appropriate early management.
The major signs of anemia are as follows:
1. The most important are the brain changes that occur due to the lowered oxygen carrying capacity of the blood leading to loss of memory, headache from straining for some activity with giddiness and complaints of vertigo. There may be lack of sleep or excessive sleepiness due to this lowered oxygen supply to the brain. If there is a headache, breathlessness and palpitation with exercise, loud heartbeats while climbing so much that the person can hear his own heartbeats, it might be a sign of underlying anemia. Some people may have a feeling of heaviness in the chest from straining or climbing.
2. Skin changes seen in anemia include lusterless skin, with small wrinkles and excessive hair loss. Hair loss is one of the initial and most important signs of low iron in blood and anemia. There is also a lack of shine in the eyes and the eyes have a sunken dull appearance.
3. Cyanosis. The tip of the finger, when pressed, turns pale in cases of anemia. Normally, when we remove the pressure, the pink color is restored in 1 to 2 seconds, which is known as the capillary filling time, but in condition of anemia, this capillary refill takes longer time of around 2, 3, 4, or 5 seconds.
4. Unreasonable coldness of the palms and feet may be seen in anemic patients unlike the normal warm temperature of the body.
5. Muscular cramps in the body maybe felt frequently while walking or moving suddenly as the muscle tightens and cramps with pain.
If a person has any three of these 5 signs and symptoms, they must be investigated to know if they have anemia. If the anemia is due to iron deficiency, then there will be an iron-deficient diet or improper absorption of iron as the underlying cause. Any disease that may cause blood loss, such as stomach ulcer, injuries in the intestines, piles, increased menstrual bleeding, may all lead to anemia. The treatment of anemia should be done according to the cause of the condition.
There are some home remedies and few points to note while eating some specific foods for quick replenishment of blood and improvement of anemia by increasing the hemoglobin.
1. While eating any kind of non-vegetarian food like fish or meat, it must be had with a fruit containing vitamin C. Fishes like sardines, mackarels, and tuna or chicken or red meat may be taken as the heme in the red meat helps increase the iron in the blood quickly. This must be accompanied with lemon, orange or guava as the vitamin C in these helps quick absorption of iron into the body.
2. One teaspoon of yogurt can be mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder and had in the morning and at night. This is a remedy instructed in Ayurveda for production of hemoglobin.
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with roasted and ground black sesame seeds and have this once daily. This is specially very good for girls above the age of 8 years. The black sesame is a rich source of iron and when added with honey, which is a source of copper, this combination helps the production of blood. This is also a good remedy for girls who experience abdominal pain during periods mainly due to anemia.
4. Steam ripened kerala banana well and add melted or powdered jaggery to it and 1/2 teaspoon of honey and have this to improve the anemia. Jaggery is rich in iron and kerala banana has folic acid. When honey containing copper is added to it, it helps the stomach and intestines to absorb more iron into the body and the production of blood is promoted. This can be had by children and non-diabetic adults.
5. Any kind of leafy vegetables can be cooked and had with a little lemon juice added to it. The leafy vegetables have abundant supplies of iron and folic acid and when vitamin C in the form of lemon juice is added to it, the body quickly absorbs it.
6. Half boiled beetroot can be pulverized and juice of one gooseberry added to it. This can be sweetened with honey or jaggery if desired and can be had with food. One gooseberry contains uptp 700 mg of vitamin C and beetroot is a vegetable that has high concentration of iron. This preparation hence aids in quick absorption of iron. \
7. Sesame ladoos and dates. Sesame ladoos made with jaggery can be given to children with 2 or 3 dates per day and it will quickly improve their anemia. Anemia is on a rise currently due to increased bleeding problems, improper nutrition of kids, severe treatments like chemotherapy which lead to reduction of hemoglobin in the body, or due to diseases like chikungunya or covid which reduce the immunity of the body. So, these combinations of home remedies may be tried to quickly recover from anemia.