We are more vulnerable to anemia in certain phases of our life such as adolescence, since it need a high intake of iron, an essential element for the production of hemoglobin. A lack of sufficient, not only of iron but of vitamins and trace elements necessary for optimal assimilation will happen inevitably a decrease in the number of red cells in blood, which carry oxygen to tissues.

Even earlier, during lactation, the lack of variety in the diet often does require intervention by the doctor who can prescribe extra-complex vitamins or iron inputs. Children are also susceptible population by the tremendous needs precise iron accelerated growth.

Women during their menstrual period are also at risk population for anemia, especially those with heavy periods, due to its periodic loss of blood, and therefore iron. Even in this period in the only time they stop menstruating, during pregnancy, is even more necessary to monitor levels of hemoglobin, since the mother must not only maintain their own body, but must also provide all the nutrients the fetus.

People who follow vegetarian diets in which not consuming vitamin B12 (essential for red blood cells) that only provides the meat, or dieting without medical criteria, are also a population at risk of anemia.

Finally, older people also need to monitor through regular blood tests the possibility of anemia, as the deterioration of certain organs and bodily functions can cause blood loss difficult to detect, such as small ulcers or bleeding in the digestive system. They also influence renal anemia and deficiencies of bone marrow disorders.

When anemia is severe, your doctor will prescribe the actions that apply depending on the origin of the lack of oxygen to the tissues.

- When is iron deficiency. The most common type of anemia is caused by iron deficiency. Proper treatment usually consists of replacement by a charge of the ferrous form of iron, the easiest to absorb, under medical supervision.

- When is bleeding. If the source of bleeding is anemia, the solution is obviously to stop the flow by making a transfusion if necessary and then be sufficient to treat anemia as a common iron deficiency.

- When lacking vitamin B-12 or folic acid. In this case, the doctor will prescribe an oral supplement or by injection if necessary. But this is a temporary remedy. It will be necessary to vary the diet of the patient to avoid recurrence of the problem.

- Other cases. Other types of anemia, such as those caused by poisoning, problems in the bone marrow, caused by other diseases or hemolytic (premature destruction of red blood cells) are more complex to cure and require very specific treatments.

But if anemia is mild enough with an extra intake of iron and vitamins, and a healthy and balanced diet. Keep in mind that sometimes the cause anemia diets that some people take to lose weight without proper medical supervision.

They are iron-rich foods like red meat, especially liver, oily fish, vegetables and certain shellfish such as cockles or mussels. It is also advisable not to abuse coffee and tea, which hinder iron absorption. The fiber and calcium have the same effect if eaten in quantity terms.

1. When to see a doctor?
The main symptom of anemia is fatigue, but it may manifest in other ways, such as weakness, pallor and irritability.

Sometimes that lack of oxygen in the tissues of the body itself compensates by increasing the rate of blood circulation, causing mild tachycardia and blood pressure rises. You can also accelerate the process of making oxygen, manifesting wheezing and rapid breathing.

Other symptoms of anemia: dizziness, insomnia, chest pain, numbness or coldness in hands and feet and headaches. These symptoms can be mild, but as they also worsen the disease worse.

Of course, before a significant loss of blood, we should also see a doctor to determine whether this lack of hemoglobin can cause hypoxia, lack of tissue oxygenation.

2. Types of anemia
We can distinguish various types of anemia:

- Deficiency: They occur when the patient does not have any vitamin or, in the normal case, enough iron to maintain the level of red blood cells.

- For hematologic disease: leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas … We must watch with great interest the anemia, as can be the first symptom of a disease much more transcendent, like a cancer.

- Chronic disorders: Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism or rheumatic diseases cause a decreased efficiency in transporting oxygen.

- For bleeding: When you lose blood, if a reasonable amount, it is normal that the body itself is able to regenerate lost red blood cells without any problems, but there is a possibility that can not make alone. In this situation, the body will begin to manifest symptoms of anemia.

- Congenital: there are cases where the evil is in the patient’s bone marrow, which is able to generate enough red blood cells to replace those destroyed, among others, in the spleen, despite having all raw materials needed for this.

3. Diagnostic Criteria
Once the doctor finds symptoms of anemia, a blood test charge. One sample will be submitted for Gram stain, used to be able to fix and distinguish the number, type and form of the items through a microscope.

Thus, the expert laboratory may perform a CBC-quantification and evaluation of different cell groups, which then cross-checked with the levels set as normal.

Anemia is defined as a decrease in normal levels of hemoglobin, which is the substance found inside red blood cells, providing its characteristic color to the blood and acting as a carrier of oxygen.

Anemia was considered when hemoglobin levels are below 16 + / -2 g / dL in men and 14 + / -2 g / dL in women.

The physician will pay attention to level of thyroid hormones, which reflects the possibility that the patient has hyper-or hypothyroidism, the vitamin B-12 and folic acid, necessary for the absorption of iron, and a study of one’s level of iron in blood.

Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells to get the body has two sources: the nutritional and RBC recycling “old” to become new red blood cells in the bone marrow.

Finally, the doctor, if you suspect the existence of anemia, review the patient’s medical history and ask about possible family history references, as sometimes the tendency to anemia is inherited.