【Ming Pao News】When we talk regarding anemia, we always think of weak girls, but it turns out that big guys and young children are also likely to be anemic.
Anemia can be solved not only by drinking a glass of jujube water or sawing a piece of steak, but there are health warning signs hidden behind it every minute. We must find out the reason, whether it is not enough “in” or “out” too much.
According to the health survey conducted by the Department of Health, 3.1% of the Hong Kong population aged 15 or above have been diagnosed with anemia (including thalassemia). According to this estimate, there are at least 200,000 people in Hong Kong suffering from anemia, which is quite a number. Huang Zhisheng, a professor at the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that there are many types of anemia, but clinically, most anemia patients are iron-deficiency anemia.
Severe dizziness and heart failure
Iron deficiency anemia means that there is not enough iron in the body, resulting in the inability to produce enough hemoglobin to transport oxygen to various organs. Huang Zhisheng pointed out that the symptoms of mild iron deficiency anemia may not be obvious, but as the disease intensifies, patients will feel easily tired, loss of appetite, decreased exercise tolerance, and can also cause sleep disturbances, such as restless legs syndrome, or dizziness, headache, Difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, and even chest pain, etc., “If you keep ignoring it, the red blood cells will not be able to provide proper nutrients to the various organs of the body. In the worst case, it may lead to heart failure”!
The presence or absence of anemia, of course, cannot be judged by the “complexity”, and blood must be taken for examination. Huang Zhisheng said: “First of all, it depends on the hemoglobin concentration in the red blood cells. If it is lower than 13.5g/dL for adult males (15 years old or above), and below 11.5g/dL for adult females (15 years old or above), it can be defined as Anemia.” But to further determine whether it is iron deficiency anemia, we need to look at three more indexes, including serum ferritin (ferritin) concentration, blood iron (serum iron) content, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ” TIBC is mainly used to evaluate the amount of protein in the blood that has the ability to bind iron. In patients with iron deficiency anemia, this value will be high, while serum ferritin and blood iron index will be low.” Normal ranges vary from laboratory to laboratory.
Intestinal problems Difficulty absorbing iron
Hong Kong people generally eat three meals a day, so why do they suffer from iron deficiency? In the final analysis, it is the result of long-term “making ends meet”. Insufficient iron reserves are common in women who are overweight, pregnant women and vegetarians. People who drink alcohol are also at high risk. Huang Zhisheng explained: “Alcohol can hinder the absorption of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. Hemoglobin is the most basic component. Some people “drink wine as water” and are prone to iron deficiency anemia.” In addition, people with intestinal problems, such as patients with Crohn’s disease, are more difficult to absorb due to the decreased function of the small intestine Iron or other micronutrients in food have a higher chance of suffering from iron deficiency anemia.
30-year-old addicted to spicy food, loves to drink, develops hemorrhoids and suffers from anemia
However, even if the “in” is enough, if the “out” is too much, it will also lead to iron deficiency. Women with heavy menstruation are prone to lose a lot of iron and form anemia, but the hemorrhoids that plague many men are also “accomplices”. And hemorrhoids are not a patent for “mature men”. Registered Chinese medicine practitioner He Huijie has treated several young people who suffered from hemorrhoids and caused anemia. He eats spicy food and also likes to drink alcohol, so he manifests “blood deficiency”, “yin deficiency” and “damp heat”.
Internal bleeding or hidden serious illness must find out the culprit
In addition to visible bleeding, there are more invisible internal bleeding, including gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, and even bleeding caused by intestinal tumors! “So it’s not just iron supplementation that can solve the problem. What’s more important is to find out the cause behind the anemia. If necessary, you may need to take a gastroscopy, colonoscopy or do a fecal occult blood test to detect the source of the bleeding.”
Reminder: Tea and coffee served with meals prevent iron intake
People who eat out are used to having coffee, milk tea, and lemon tea for lunch or dinner. It turns out that this combination will hinder the absorption of iron. Huang Zhisheng, a professor at the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, explained, “Most people eat rich lunches and dinners, and mainly rely on these two meals to absorb iron, so it is not suitable to eat coffee, milk tea or black tea in these two meals. Because such drinks contain caffeine, iron absorption will be poor.” If you want to drink it, you can choose to drink it 2 hours before or following meals. After the body absorbs the required iron, the impact will be relatively small.
Text: Shen Yashi
Editor: Liang Xiaoling
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