The causes and consequences of low hemoglobin in the blood

Reduction of hemoglobin in the blood indicates violations in the body. Such a deviation can be observed with the development of certain diseases. Than low hemoglobin is dangerous, its causes and consequences should be studied in detail.

• Causes of low hemoglobin
• Symptoms of low hemoglobin
• Pathology in a child up to a year
• Low hemoglobin in pregnancy
• Treatment of pathology
• Consequences of low hemoglobin

Causes of low hemoglobin

One of the causes of this pathology is a significant loss of blood. That is, it develops as a result of such factors:

• surgical intervention;
• severe labor or abortion in women;
• chronic form of hemorrhoids;
• copious discharge of blood during menstruation;
• latent bleeding from various parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

Also common causes in which hemoglobin gradually decreases are:

• insufficient intake of iron from food in the body;
• infectious diseases of a chronic nature;
• digestive disorders;
• inflammatory processes in the body.

The above factors mostly cause anemia in women. There are such causes of low hemoglobin in men:

• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• poor assimilation of nutrients that enter the body;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• blood loss as a result of surgical intervention or trauma.

It is important to know! Hemoglobin performs the function of saturation of body tissues with oxygen! Therefore, for good health, the level of hemoglobin is normal.

Symptoms of low hemoglobin

In medicine, there are 2 syndromes that are observed with a decrease in hemoglobin: dystrophic and asthenic. Dystrophic syndrome is characterized by such signs:

• thinning of the nail plate;
• excessive dryness of the skin, it forms cracks, causing painful sensations;
• significant loss of hair, deterioration in growth;
• there is a perversion of smell and taste, the patient has a craving for eating and smelling unusual, inedible or completely inedible things;
• the body temperature rises periodically;
• change in the color of the skin, painful pallor.

As for the asthenic form of hemoglobin reduction, it is accompanied by such symptoms:

• general weakness of the body;
• rapid fatigue;
• lack of sleep, constant drowsiness;
• dizziness, sometimes with loss of consciousness;
• nausea leading to vomiting;
• lowering blood pressure;
• cardiopalmus.

A reduced level of hemoglobin indicates a lack of iron in the body and other beneficial substances that contribute to the normal functioning of the body.

Pathology in a child up to a year

Often the decrease in hemoglobin is observed in babies. The most common causes of this pathology are:

• rupture of the umbilical cord at the time of delivery in infants;
• premature birth, prematurity;
• genetic predisposition to blood diseases;
• intrauterine infection;
• insufficient amount of iron in the baby's body.

In older children, low hemoglobin can be observed for the same reasons as in adults.

The lowered figure negatively affects the development of babies. Therefore, it is required to bring the hemoglobin level back to normal as soon as possible. For this purpose, the following activities are carried out:

1. Balanced diet. The kid should receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and other nutrients. Therefore, eating meat dishes is required in combination with vegetables. Thanks to this, the level of iron in the body increases, which has a beneficial effect on hemoglobin.
2. Reception of preparations containing iron. If the general condition and age of the child allows, then it is possible to use medicinal preparations in tableted form. In other cases, injection administration is prescribed.
3. A sharp decrease in hemoglobin in children is dangerous for life. In this case, experts prescribe transfusion of erythrocyte mass.

Therefore, in the womb of the mother is required to monitor the development and health of the baby. This will help to avoid dangerous consequences, and will also contribute to the normal development of the child.

Low hemoglobin in pregnancy

Deficiency of iron in the blood - a fairly common problem in women during pregnancy. Ignore it should not, because a low level of hemoglobin can lead to a lag in the development of the future baby. This pathology presents a particular danger in the last months of pregnancy, when the final formation of the organs and systems of the fetal organism takes place.

Anemia in pregnant women can develop for the following reasons:

• kidney, liver and cardiovascular disease;
• severe toxicosis, accompanied by constant vomiting;
• violation of the hormonal background;
• use of antibacterial drugs;
• regular nervous disorders.

If the results of the tests showed that the woman's hemoglobin level in the blood is lowered, you need to consult a doctor. He will appoint the most effective and safe therapy, taking into account the individual characteristics of the course of pregnancy. What is the danger of low hemoglobin? This pathology can lead to such serious consequences for the child:

• premature delivery;
• violation of labor activity;
• hypoxia in the baby;
• severe hemorrhage at the time of delivery.

Important to remember! Unfavorable consequences can be avoided if the pathology is treated in a timely manner!

Treatment of pathology

Before starting treatment, you need to find the reason for the decline in this indicator. To increase the level of hemoglobin, the following methods are commonly used:

1. Medications. A very low value requires medication. What to drink at such pathology? To increase the level of hemoglobin requires the use of drugs containing iron. There are situations when iron is normal, and hemoglobin is low. In such situations vitamins of groups B, C, PP are appointed. In especially severe cases, the physician prescribes the administration of iron preparations in the form of injections.
2. Diet. What you need to eat with pathology? The diet is aimed at eating foods that contain a large amount of iron and substances that increase the digestibility of iron. The most useful food products: dried apricots, raisins, prunes, walnuts. All these products can be mixed or consumed separately. One of the most effective foods for anemia is black caviar. Its use can significantly increase hemoglobin in a short time. But, unfortunately, this is an expensive product that not everyone can afford to buy. A more accessible product with almost the same effect on the body is garnet. Nutrition with low hemoglobin must necessarily be regular and balanced.
3. Use of folk remedies. Alternative medicine offers many recipes that help increase hemoglobin in the blood. One of the most effective means is a buckwheat croup shredded with a coffee mill. The resulting powder should be consumed 3 times a day for 1 tbsp. l. This promotes faster absorption of iron in the intestine.

Important to remember! In order to get rid of anemia, you must strictly adhere to the prescribing doctor's appointments!

Consequences of low hemoglobin

Anemia is a pathology that can lead to dangerous consequences if ignored. Its development is fraught with such complications:

1. Strong decrease in immunity. This leads to frequent illnesses, the risk of infection increases significantly.
2. Chronic fatigue. This is especially observed in adults. Constant weakness always accompanies anemia.
3. The risk of serious diseases of the cardiovascular system. Lack of oxygen in the body leads to an irregular heart function.
4. Reduced blood pressure.
5. Fainting states.
6. Edema of the lower extremities.

As for children, a low level of hemoglobin leads to a lag in physical and mental development. Therefore it is very important to regularly give a general blood test for preventive purposes. This will help to detect the problem in time. Also for preventive purposes it is required to eat foods containing a large amount of iron in its composition.