- 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.
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
, 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).
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
