Common Symptoms of Anaemia

Anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or their oxygen-carrying capacity is insufficient to meet physiologic needs, which vary by age, sex, altitude, smoking, and pregnancy status. Iron deficiency is thought to be the most common cause of anaemia globally, although other conditions, such as folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin A deficiencies, chronic inflammation, parasitic infections, and inherited disorders can all cause anaemia (WHO Definition of Anaemia).

The most common symptoms of anaemia include:

• tiredness
• lethargy (lack of energy)
• dizziness or drowsiness
• shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
• head ache
• pica
• hair loss
• difficulty swallowing
• feeling itchy

You may also notice changes in your physical appearance like a pale complexion, painful ulcers (open sores) on the corners of your mouth, dry, flaking nails.

Anaemia may be due to

• Insufficient blood formation when there is inadequate intake, absorption or utilisation of proteins, vitamins, and minerals
• Due to blood loss in excessive menstruation, bleeding piles, hook worm infestation
• Inexcessive intravascular blood destruction.

Diet
A list of foods suitable for anaemic patients is given below: Whole cereals, legumes, pulses, greens, citrus fruits, dried fruits and nuts, mushroom, mutton, egg yolk, liver, kidneys.

Vitamin C rich foods should be included to aid absorption of iron rich foods.

Iron Rich Foods

No	Food	Nutritive value/100 gm
	Cereals and their products
1	Ragi	3.90
2	Handpounded rice	3.20
3	Rice flakes	20.00
	Pulses
4	Bengal gram whole	4.60
5	Bengal gram-roasted	9.50
6	Green gram whole	4.40
7	Green gram-dhal	3.90
8	Cow Pea (karamani)	8.60
9	Horse gram	6.77
10	Peas Dried	7.05
11	soya bean	10.40
	Leafy Vegetables
13	Agathi	3.90
14	Mint	15.60
15	Paruppu keerai	14.80
	Other vegetables
16	Plantain green	6.27
17	Sundakkai dried	22.20
	Nuts and oil seeds
18	Almonds	5.09
19	Cashew nut	5.81
20	Gingelly seeds	9.30
21	Mango powder	45.20
	Fruits
22	Seethaphal	4.31
23	Pomegranate	1.79
24	Dried dates	5.60

---

Image Credit: Flickr/ USDA