Support Groups
Besides consulting with a doctor, support groups can be some of the most helpful tool for an individual.
Dailystrength.org
This website serves as a support group from a variety of conditions but does have a fairly extensive section dedicated to those who have anemia. It does seem that this website is very user friendly and welcomes anyone. Although you can just hop in to ask questions, the website seems a lot more helpful to those who join the website. Looking through this site there is a lot of different topics related to anemia, which helps with those who have more than just basic symptoms.
Drugs.com
This website is much less formal than dailystrength.com. It does discuss some various topics that surround anemia, but you have to have do some searching to find the information you might night. This support group isn't that helpful and doesn't seem like a very strong online community.
Overall, there doesn't seem to be very many support groups for those suffering with anemia. Anemia usually isn't a very serious condition and is very curable which could be the cause of this.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Nursing care of Individuals with the Disease
Caring for Individuals with IDA
Identify
The first step of caring for individuals suffering from IDA is proper diagnosis. Individuals who have symptoms often associated with IDA should be taken to a doctor to identify if they have it and the cause. Different causes will affect the action taken to treat the condition.
Treatment
Once the cause of the IDA is identified, making sure to keep that individual on track with their treatment is key. For those suffering for iron deficient diet, regulating the individuals diet to include iron rich foods is key. In the case menstruation induce IDA or problems with absorption, taking the proper medication should be the focus.
Websites
1.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/basics/treatment/con-20019327
One of the most informational and popular sites for any medical related information, Mayo Clinic has pretty much all one needs when it comes to iron deficiency anemia. This websites covers everything from defining the disease, symptoms, preventions, treatments, and many more. It even includes a section on preparing an individual for an appointment, which is extremely unique and helpful.
2.http://www.healthline.com/health/iron-deficiency-anemia#Treatment8
Healthline is a great website that although not as medically focused, is extremely user friendly. It includes all the information found on the Mayo Clinic, but puts it in a less medically termed format. this makes it extremely easy for users to navigate the site and find what they need.
Apps
1. Eyenemia
One of the most tell tale signs of IDA is skin discoloration. This apps entire purpose is to help diagnose those who believe they might be suffering from anemia. It does this by taking a picture of the individuals eye to check if they have anemia. Very interesting app and seems helpful but once diagnosed this app becomes useless.
Other possible app options could be those dealing with nutrition. There are tons out there but ones who could suggest iron rich foods could be helpful. There is also a new technology called Hemoglobin which tries to help diagnose individuals with anemia by measuring the hemoglobin level through a sensor that attaches to the finger. Although it is still going through testing, something like this could have some huge benefits to help those who are anemic.
picture:http://www.mayoclinic.org/
picture: http://www.healthline.com/health/iron-deficiency-anemia#Diagnosis5
picturehttp://www.eyenaemia.com/
Identify
The first step of caring for individuals suffering from IDA is proper diagnosis. Individuals who have symptoms often associated with IDA should be taken to a doctor to identify if they have it and the cause. Different causes will affect the action taken to treat the condition.
Treatment
Once the cause of the IDA is identified, making sure to keep that individual on track with their treatment is key. For those suffering for iron deficient diet, regulating the individuals diet to include iron rich foods is key. In the case menstruation induce IDA or problems with absorption, taking the proper medication should be the focus.
Websites
1.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/basics/treatment/con-20019327
One of the most informational and popular sites for any medical related information, Mayo Clinic has pretty much all one needs when it comes to iron deficiency anemia. This websites covers everything from defining the disease, symptoms, preventions, treatments, and many more. It even includes a section on preparing an individual for an appointment, which is extremely unique and helpful.
Healthline is a great website that although not as medically focused, is extremely user friendly. It includes all the information found on the Mayo Clinic, but puts it in a less medically termed format. this makes it extremely easy for users to navigate the site and find what they need.
1. Eyenemia
One of the most tell tale signs of IDA is skin discoloration. This apps entire purpose is to help diagnose those who believe they might be suffering from anemia. It does this by taking a picture of the individuals eye to check if they have anemia. Very interesting app and seems helpful but once diagnosed this app becomes useless.
Other possible app options could be those dealing with nutrition. There are tons out there but ones who could suggest iron rich foods could be helpful. There is also a new technology called Hemoglobin which tries to help diagnose individuals with anemia by measuring the hemoglobin level through a sensor that attaches to the finger. Although it is still going through testing, something like this could have some huge benefits to help those who are anemic.
picture:http://www.mayoclinic.org/
picture: http://www.healthline.com/health/iron-deficiency-anemia#Diagnosis5
picturehttp://www.eyenaemia.com/
Diet Considerations
Diet
One of the best treatment options for IDA is an iron rich diet. Foods high in iron that one should consume include:- iron-fortified cereal
- red meats
- green leafy vegetables
- nuts
- dried fruits
It is also a good idea to consider drinking orange juice or taking vitamin C supplements. This is due to the fact that vitamin C helps absorb iron. Being able to absorb the maximum amount of iron helps with individuals who do not eat an iron rich diet.
picture: https://www.hypervibe.com/us/blog/how-to-recognize-the-most-common-mineral-and-vitamin-deficiencies/
http://www.healthline.com/health/iron-deficiency-anemia#Diagnosis5
Medical Treatment Options
The best way to treat IDA is to consult with your doctor. This is important because the type of treatment will be dependent on cause of IDA.
Iron Supplements
A doctor will often recommend iron supplements to help replenish the the bodies iron stores. In most cases these will be given to pregnant women and will be in pill form. However they can also be given to infants in a liquid form.
Other Causes of IDA
Some times iron supplements will not won treat IDA. In such cases problems with internal or external bleeding and absorption must be investigated.
Menstruation: If menstruation is cause IDA, oral contraceptives can be taken to lessen a heavy menstrual flow.
Peptic Ulcers: Antibiotics could be described by a doctor to whose who have such ulcers.
Bleeding Polyp, Tumor, or a Fibroid: Surgery will likely occur to deal with IDA related to these conditions.
Iron Supplements
A doctor will often recommend iron supplements to help replenish the the bodies iron stores. In most cases these will be given to pregnant women and will be in pill form. However they can also be given to infants in a liquid form.
- Take on an empty stomach: When taking supplements it is important to take them on an empty stomach because this will allow the body to absorb the maximum amount of the iron. Often times iron does cause an upset stomach. In such cases individuals should take the supplements with food.
- Do not take with antacids: Antacids will affect the absorption of the supplements. It is recommended one takes iron supplements two hours before or four hours after taking antacids.
- Take Iron Tablets with Vitamin C: Taking iron supplements with either a glass or orange juice or a vitamin C pill will help the absorption of iron.
Other Causes of IDA
Some times iron supplements will not won treat IDA. In such cases problems with internal or external bleeding and absorption must be investigated.
Menstruation: If menstruation is cause IDA, oral contraceptives can be taken to lessen a heavy menstrual flow.
Peptic Ulcers: Antibiotics could be described by a doctor to whose who have such ulcers.
Bleeding Polyp, Tumor, or a Fibroid: Surgery will likely occur to deal with IDA related to these conditions.
Symptoms and Signs
The signs an symptoms of IDA include:
- fatigue
- weakness
- pale skin
- shortness of breath
- dizziness
- tingling or crawling feeling in the legs tongue swelling or soreness
- cold hands and feet
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- brittle nails
- headaches
Although most cases of Iron deficiency do not cause many complications, if untreated, there are 3 major complications that can result
- Rapid or Irregular Heart Beat: Anemia causes the heart to beat faster because of a lack of oxygen. If left untreated, individuals can suffer from irregular heart beat, heart failure, or heat enlargement.
- Pregnancy Complication: IDA can cause premature birth of low birthweight, which drastically increases infant mortality rate. In order to counteract this, mothers ofter will take iron supplements during pregnancy.
- Delayed Growth in Infants and Children: IDA often affects the growth rate of infants and children, both physically and cognitively. It also increases their likelihood of contracting infections.
Diagnosis of the Disease
Since iron deficiency anemia is a from or anemia, it is key to define the medical diagnosis of anemia before introducing that of IDA. According to the World Health Organization anemia is classified with as a blood hemoglobin level of less than 7.7 mmo1/1 (13g/dl) in men and 7.4 mmo1/1(12g/dl) in women. IDA is a form of microcytic anemia, which is defined as having small, hypochromic blood cells and as a result is characterized by having small iron stores.
Clinical Diagnosis
Clinical Diagnosis
The clinical diagnosis of IDA occurs in individuals that have low hemoglobin (<7.7 mmo1/1 in men and <7.4 mmol1/1), a low serum iron (<7.1g/l), a low serum ferritin (storage from or iron) (<30ng/l), a low transferrin saturation (<15%), and I high total iron-binding capacity (>13.1 mol1/1)
Tests
CBC's
These individuals values are measured through several different blood tests called Complete Blood Cell tests or CBC's. These tests look at components in the blood such as:
Other tests look at serum iron, serum ferritin, and transferrin level, which can be determined through CBC tests.
Non-Blood Tests
To test if individuals have internal bleeding doctors will conduct fecal occult to look for blood in the feces. Doctors may also suggest a pelvic ultra sound
picture: http://contemporarypediatrics.modernmedicine.com/contemporary-pediatrics/content/tags/american-academy-pediatrics/iron-deficiency-anemia-toddlers-tee
CBC's
These individuals values are measured through several different blood tests called Complete Blood Cell tests or CBC's. These tests look at components in the blood such as:
- red blood cells (RBC's)
- white blood cells (WBC's)
- hemoglobin
- hematocrit
- platelets
Other tests look at serum iron, serum ferritin, and transferrin level, which can be determined through CBC tests.
Non-Blood Tests
To test if individuals have internal bleeding doctors will conduct fecal occult to look for blood in the feces. Doctors may also suggest a pelvic ultra sound
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ida/diagnosis
Johnson-Wimbley, T. D., & Graham, D. Y. (2011). Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency anemia in the 21st century. Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, 4(3), 177–184. http://doi.org/10.1177/1756283X11398736
Etiology/pathophysiology of disease
In order to fully understand the pathophysiology one must look at how iron is metabolized in the human body.
Iron is needed by every cell in the human body. However, it is also toxic in excess amounts, so it is very important to regulate the amount of iron the body absorbs. The recommend intake of iron per day is 1-2 mgs , any more than this can have a negative impact on the body. This daily recommended about of iron is absorbed every day in the duodenal lumen in the mucosal cells or enterocyte in the ferrous state. The iron that is contained as ferritin and sloughed or carried across the basolateral surface by the ferroportin. Once in the bloodstream, iron combines or is transported to the bone marrow or becomes stored as transferrin. When iron is in a state of excess, the amount of hepcidin increases blocks ferroprotin, and in the process decreases irons ability to become plasma. This process is shown in the diagram below.
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