What is the first line treatment for anemia of chronic disease?
The first line treatment for anemia chronic disease (ACD) is mainly iron supplements as it is caused by deficiency of iron in the body which needs immediate treatment by starting iron supplements in order to prevent further complications in the body. It could be treated with either oral medicines or intravenous administration as it depends on the severity of the patient’s case and the main cause of the anemia while keeping underlying chronic diseases that are causing anemia or making it severe. There are some certain treatments or aspects which can be helpful to treat anemia.
Understand what is anaemia in detail:
Anemia of chronic disease occurs when a person has an autoimmune disease or other illness that has lasted longer than 2 months and it causes severe inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can affect the body’s ability to use iron which is essential to make enough red blood cells in the blood. It happens when a patient doesn’t have enough red blood cells left in the body and now at this point the body requires more red blood cells to heal the body.
Who gets affected by anemia as a chronic disease?
As its name suggests, anemia of chronic disease may affect anyone who has a chronic illness. Any person who has a chronic illness may suffer anemia of chronic disease. Most of the people who have this condition are of age 60 and older than this. Studies show that about 1 million people whose age is 60 or above have anemia of chronic disease. Here is a list of diseases that may cause anemia of chronic disease:
- Cancer
- Kidney Diseases
- Heart Disease or Attack
- Autoimmune Diseases
These are some diseases that attack the immune system instead of protecting it against chronic diseases.
What can be the symptoms of anemia of chronic disease?
Anemia of chronic disease symptoms are the same as symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia. Not everyone who has anemia of chronic disease will ever notice symptoms as some people may only notice symptoms when they’re exercising or running. People who do have symptoms even when they are not even exercising can be:
- Feel very tired or weak, not even they feel too weak to manage their energy for day-to-day activities
- Feeling short of breath
- Pale skin more than usual
- Feeling sweaty for no reason
- Feeling dizzy or faint
- Having frequent headaches
How to treat anemia of chronic disease?
Treatment depends on the current disease that has actually caused anemia. In many cases treating the current disease eliminates the anemia and its symptoms. People who have anemia caused by cancer or chronic kidney disease may need some different or additional treatment to treat it.
Some treatments options for anemia of chronic disease treatment:
- Taking Iron Supplements
Starting with consumption of iron supplements to treat anemia is the primary treatment as it can reduce the other complications associated with anemia. Medical consultants usually recommend iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 also include these in daily diet plans for better recovery.
- By Blood Transfusions
Doctors may use blood transfusions as a short-term therapy to treat people who are suffering from severe anemia and the condition is life-threatening as it quickly increases the hemoglobin. Blood transfusions are not a long-term solution, as it has side effects that include overload of iron and high risk of infection.
- Through Synthetic EPO therapy:
This treatment basically boosts the EPO levels along with iron supplementation to treat patients. EPO is a type of hormone that kidneys make to help the bone marrow make red blood cells which eventually treats the patients of anemia of chronic disease.
“Prevention is better than cure.” is a very famous phrase used to describe a to prevent the body from developing any disease.
How can a person reduce the risk of developing anemia of chronic disease?
Anemia of chronic disease occurs in the body when a person suffers from a chronic illness that affects the red blood cell levels. A person may not be able to prevent anemia completely, but can help the overall health by eating a healthy diet that includes:
- Eat lean protein that comes from chicken and beans.
- Include dark leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale.
- Consume iron-rich bread and cereals.
- Add supplements of vitamin B12, folate and iron.
The Bottom Line
The specific treatment plan entirely depends on the root cause and severity of the anemia and patient-specific factors like the disease which he has gone through, diet that he is following and the genetic history. It is curable when treated at the right time by noticing the symptoms so that the doctor can determine and treat it timely without any delay. Chronic Disease Management Brisbane is the best option to get the treatment done effectively.