Leukemia - more not a sentence - Signs

March 7, 2010

  • Leukemia - more not a sentence
  • Signs

 leukemia symptoms

Leukemia, its causes and types

Leukemia or leukemia - a tumor disease of white blood cells (leukocytes), so it used to be called leukemia.

Leukocytes are produced in the bone marrow, from which enter the blood and protect against any external influences: bacteria, viruses, foreign particles, and so on. White blood cells are divided into granular and nezernistye. Granular leukocytes (granulocytes) perform the function of cellular immunity Immunity - types and characteristics in children in adults  Immunity - types and characteristics in children in adults
 That is, destroy "enemies" by ingestion and dissolution within their cells. Nezernistye leukocytes (agranulocytes) perform different functions. For example, the function of lymphocytes of the humoral immunity, ie, in response to the invasion of foreign bodies (antigen) produce antibodies Antibodies - "soldiers' immunity  Antibodies - "soldiers' immunity
 Connecting to antigens to form insoluble complexes which are then excreted.

Leukemia is characterized by the fact that the bone marrow begins to produce and released into the blood in large numbers, immature white blood cells that are unable to protect the body from invading bacteria and viruses. These immature white blood cells called blasts.

The causes of leukemia are not well understood, but they believe that it occurs on a background of genetic susceptibility of the organism. The triggers are frequently irradiation, some viral diseases, exposure to chemicals (benzene, petroleum distillates, and others), some medications.

Leukemias are divided into acute and chronic. Acute leukemia may be accompanied by an increase in the number of immature lymphocytes and then he called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Another form of acute leukemia is associated with the growth of granulocytes and blasts called acute myeloid leukemia. Chronic leukemia respectively divided into chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia.

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Signs of acute leukemia

As with any acute disease, acute leukemia begins suddenly. Very fever, joined bacterial infections, such as sore throat Angina - is it worth it to carry "on their feet"?  Angina - is it worth it to carry "on their feet"?
 . All this is accompanied by severe fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, pain in bones and joints. All organs increased blood: liver, spleen, lymph nodes. It appears increased bleeding, petechial hemorrhages and bruises on the body, nasal, and sometimes internal bleeding. Patients are melting in her eyes, reduced body weight, appears waxy pallor. The blood in this period you can find a large number of blasts. Acute leukemias without treatment very quickly lead to the death of the patient. But with timely and adequate treatment in most cases, recovery occurs.

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Symptoms of chronic leukemia

Chronic leukemia starts and slow, sometimes discovered by chance, during examination for other diseases. First, there is a certain fatigue, weakness, poor appetite, then gradually joined by a characteristic of leukemia symptoms: frequent infections and bleeding. Increases the size of the liver, spleen, lymph nodes.

The periods of exacerbation is usually followed by periods of remission (a temporary absence of symptoms of the disease). In chronic leukemia patients live without treatment within a few months and years. Chronic leukemia may become intractable treatment of acute form (blast crisis).

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Diagnosis of leukemia

The diagnosis of leukemia is set on the basis of laboratory tests of blood and bone marrow. In the blood revealed a large number of immature white blood cells. Punctate bone marrow is usually taken from the sternum (the bone at the front of the chest to which the ribs are attached). When leukemia in the bone marrow also found a large number of blasts.

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Leukemia Treatment

Treat Leukemia learned relatively recently, at the end of the last century. During treatment, the patient is in complete isolation. Chamber it systematically treated with ultraviolet germicidal lamps to destroy pathogens. For the prevention of infections patients received antibiotics Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future?  Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future?
   and antiviral agents.

During treatment suppressed the development of blasts and blasts destroyed already trapped in the blood. It's a complicated process, because even one remaining immature cell can cause recurrent disease. For the suspension of production of blasts prescribed drugs that belong to the group of cytostatics. Another method is the destruction of blasts radiotherapy. When these treatments there are many side effects, since they suffer from not only blasts, but also normal cells. After treatment, the patients' general weakness, nausea, vomiting, hair loss and so on. For the treatment of leukemia are also used glucocorticoid hormones that regulate immune processes in the body. When properly conducted comprehensive treatment of most of the patients with acute leukemia is recovering, while chronic leukemia remission occurs.

If no improvement or worsening of the disease began again, hold a bone marrow transplant from a healthy human cells that activate the work of the bone marrow of the patient and begins recovery or long-term remission.

The most important thing to do in leukemia - is it time to identify and direct the patient to a specialist unit for treatment.

Galina Romanenko


Low hemoglobin - a true companion of mankind - Iron deficiency anemia

March 12, 2009

  • Low hemoglobin - a true companion of mankind
  • Iron-deficiency anemia

What is Hemoglobin

Human blood consists of the liquid portion (plasma) and cells. All blood cells are divided into red (erythrocytes) and white (leukocytes) blood cells. They have different functions. The main function of white blood cells - to protect our body from harmful influences from outside (immunity), and red blood cells - to bring oxygen to the cells of the tissues, without which the fabric can not exist.

How red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues? To do this, they have a special respiratory pigment (iron-containing protein) - hemoglobin. Its structure includes iron ion, and it is the combination of oxygen with iron stain blood red. Flowing through the arteries through the lungs, oxygen, iron captures and transfers it to the remotest corners of our body. There hemoglobin gives oxygen, carbon dioxide takes part and has veins carries it back to the lungs to get rich and give it to a new portion of oxygen.

Considered normal hemoglobin in human blood male 130-170 g / l, in Women 120-150 g / l.

 Iron deficiency anemia | Low hemoglobin - a true companion of mankind

What happens if not enough hemoglobin

If hemoglobin is small, begin to suffer all the organs and tissues, as a shortage of oxygen. This condition is called iron deficiency anemia or anemia.

Signs of anemia: weakness, dizziness Dizziness - if the ground is slipping from under his feet  Dizziness - if the ground is slipping from under his feet
 , Palpitations, shortness of breath, fainting, headache, drowsiness. When iron deficiency anemia may occur dry skin, cracked lips, hair loss, brittle nails, taste perversion, addiction to special smell, sharp muscle weakness (because it can be even incontinence as the muscles do not work bladder).

 Iron deficiency anemia | Low hemoglobin - a true companion of mankind

Why can occur iron deficiency anemia

The cause of iron deficiency anemia can be repetitive bleeding. For example, women often give birth before, losing a lot of blood. Various dysfunctional uterine bleeding Uterine bleeding outside of menstruation - a sign of a serious breach  Uterine bleeding outside of menstruation - a sign of a serious breach
 For example, against hormonal changes at young age or during menopause can also cause iron deficiency anemia.

Another reason for such anemia - an unhealthy diet. This reason is particularly relevant in our time - a time of various diets for weight loss. The reason is that the iron in the body is absorbed mainly from animal protein. And, for example, an apple, which contains a lot of iron, do not give it to the man, so eat apples while iron deficiency to replenish iron useless. But there are many other advantages of apples - they contain vitamins and minerals that are involved in metabolism Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things  Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things
   and promote absorption of iron from the other products.

Finally, the cause of iron-deficiency anemia may be a violation of iron absorption in the intestine. Such a condition can occur in chronic inflammation of the small intestine (chronic enteritis) or after removal of part of the intestine.

 Iron deficiency anemia | Low hemoglobin - a true companion of mankind

So what should be done to restore hemoglobin

Replenish the iron you need animal protein: meat, fish, eggs. But there is only the whites are very dangerous, because the kidneys are removed from the body decomposition products of proteins, can not withstand such loads. Therefore, it is necessary to combine proteins with carbohydrates, but not digestible (weaknesses and baking), and carbohydrates, which are found in vegetables and fruits - there are a lot of rough carbohydrates - fiber, which cleanses the bowel. Only such a diet will help compensate for a deficiency of iron in the body.

But sometimes the process goes so far that one diet is not enough, and then iron appointed interior in the form of pills or injected directly into the bloodstream by injection.

 Iron deficiency anemia | Low hemoglobin - a true companion of mankind

What happens if the hemoglobin falls in blood plasma

There are states in which the red blood cells are destroyed, and large amounts of hemoglobin gets into the blood plasma. This is called hemolysis. Red blood cells can be destroyed by transfusion of incompatible blood, with rhesus conflict in pregnant women (incompatibility of blood between mother and fetus), autoimmune processes, when disturbances in immunity leads to the fact that red blood cells are taken for "enemies" and destroyed, and some other states. This hemoglobin loses its function of delivering oxygen to the tissues, tissue suffer from lack of oxygen, and the breakdown products of hemoglobin "clog up" the body, especially organs that remove toxic products from the body - the kidneys and liver. And as the liver and kidneys lose their function, then it begins poisoning the body's own metabolic products. This is a very serious condition that requires immediate resuscitation.

There is a special kind of hereditary hemolytic anemia, which was called sickle cell because of the shape of red blood cells. It has been found that this anemia is common among American blacks and inherited. The reason it is a genetically modified red blood cells, is closely related to the state and nature of hemoglobin. Anyone who has a sickle-shaped red blood cells, is not ill with malaria Malaria - these dangerous mosquitoes  Malaria - these dangerous mosquitoes
 That was very important for that region of Africa, where there were sick people.

Hemoglobin - a vital element, the study of which continues today.

  Galina Romanenko


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