Anemia is a blood condition that can have debilitating effects on your life. It's relatively common, and most people will eventually deal with it. When you develop anemia, you can experience symptoms like never-ending exhaustion, severe headaches and more.
Those symptoms aren't a huge deal initially, but anemia can pave the way to serious health problems in the future. Fortunately, this condition is easy for doctors to diagnose, and there are many anemia treatment options available.
What is Anemia?
Anemia occurs when you don't have the red blood cell supply to deliver oxygen throughout your body. There are several types of anemia, but the most common happens when you don't have enough iron. Iron deficiency anemia is problematic because your body needs the mineral to make healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen.
The symptoms of anemia can greatly impact your life, but long-term anemia is where things get dangerous. The lack of healthy red blood cells forces your heart to work harder to compensate for the blood's low oxygen. That can increase your risk of developing an enlarged heart and heart failure.
Signs of Anemia
There are many indicators of anemia. Most people who develop the condition will feel sluggish throughout the day, taking frequent naps as they struggle to maintain energy levels. Shortness of breath, dizzy spells, frequent headaches and cold extremities are common, too. Physically, anemia may also cause your skin to look pale.
Anemia Treatment
After confirming anemia with a blood test, doctors can recommend appropriate treatments. The best approach is to improve your diet and get more iron into your system.
That leads us to the question: Can eating red meat help with anemia?
Believe it or not, it can. Red meat is an iron-rich food that can make a noticeable difference for those with anemia. You can also consume more poultry, shellfish and fish. Iron-rich plant-based foods that can improve anemia include:
Spinach
Tofu
Peas
Lentils
Beans
Raisins
Your doctor might recommend supplements if you can't use your diet to improve iron levels.
Author Resource:-
Alester Brown writes about mental and physical health. She advises people on Paediatrician & online Psychiatrist consultation. You can find her thoughts at ADHD treatment blog.