3 Tips For Women With Anemia

Anemia is a broad term for having low hemoglobin, which is responsible for carrying oxygen throughout your body. Women are often vulnerable to anemia, especially if they have heavy and/or frequent menstruation. There are ways to help reduce or reverse anemia.

Have A Thorough Medical Evaluation

You likely know you are anemic because your hemoglobin was low in recent blood work. Since there are various underlying causes for anemia and different types, it is important for your doctor to thoroughly evaluate your health to pinpoint the cause. If you have heavy menstrual periods, bleed longer than seven days, or your periods come close together, this could be the underlying cause for anemia. It is important to speak with a gynecologist to determine if there are serious conditions that need to be addressed. You should also tell your doctor about anything unusual, such as swollen lymph nodes, fullness in your abdomen, or gastrointestinal problems. Some types of cancer or internal bleeding could present with anemia.

Evaluate Your Diet

Anemia can be caused by inadequate levels of iron, folic acid, and/or vitamin B-12 in your diet or problems absorbing the nutrients. Make sure you are incorporating more foods with high levels of these nutrients. The easiest way to boost your nutrients is to incorporate shakes or smoothies. Spinach is an excellent source of iron and folic acid, and it is commonly added to smoothies to boost the nutrients without significantly altering the taste. Citrus fruits have vitamin B-12, but they also contain vitamin C which is important for iron absorption. If you like the taste of citrus try combining fresh oranges or natural orange juice with spinach. For a richer, smoothie consistency, add milk, milk substitutes, or yogurt. This will create a smoothie similar to the flavor of orange cream. At other times throughout the day you can add spinach and cheese to salads or sandwiches to increase these important nutrients.

Consider Supplements

The easiest way to treat anemia caused by a nutrient deficiency is to add a daily multivitamin. The multivitamin you choose should contain all or most of your daily allowance of iron, folic acid, and vitamin B-12. Take your multivitamin at meal time since some nutrients need fat for absorption. If your hemoglobin is low due to iron deficiency, you can find iron supplements at retail stores. Take one pill per day unless your doctor has advised you to take a higher loading dose. Iron pills can make your stomach upset, so they also need to be taken with meals. Another concern with iron pills is they can contribute to constipation. Make sure you have adequate water and fiber intake. Additionally, you may want to take daily stool softeners, not laxatives, to prevent your stool from becoming difficult to pass.

Most cases of anemia can be prevented or lessened with changes to your diet and supplementation. If anemia becomes an ongoing problem despite increasing your nutrient intake, it may signify a more serious problem. For more information, contact companies like Primo Health Technologies.