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Hidden dangers behind anemia in the elderly

Hidden dangers behind anemia in the elderly

CHENLUCY |

Aunt Zhao is 62 years old and has often felt out of breath for the past six months. During the latest exercise, Aunt Zhao fell to the ground, and her friends rushed her to the hospital. The final diagnosis given by the hospital was exercise-induced syncope caused by.

Aunt Zhao's anemia fainted, which shocked the old people around, and they all went to the hospital for examination. Results Among more than 70 elderly people, 3 had severe anemia, 8 had moderate anemia, and more than 30 had mild anemia. Among the elderly with severe anemia, one of them was diagnosed with gastric cancer.

Survey data show that among the entire anemia population, the incidence of anemia in the elderly is 7% to 28%, accounting for 57.53% of the elderly hospitalized during the same period. The overall incidence of anemia in women is higher than that in men, but in senile anemia, men are higher than women.

The incidence of anemia in the elderly in my country is very high. Among the elderly population aged 60-79, the incidence rate of anemia is nearly 35%, and the incidence rate reaches 45% for those over 80 years old.

Anemia can aggravate existing chronic diseases

Many elderly people find that they are anemic during physical examination, thinking that this is a small problem, and they can just strengthen their nutrition at ordinary times, and they will not "make a fuss" to go to the hospital. In fact, anemia will not only accelerate the decline of organ functions in the elderly, but also aggravate the original chronic diseases. Behind anemia, there are sometimes serious problems that cannot be ignored, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, malignant tumors, heart disease, and chronic infections. If found and paid attention to, it may lead to serious organic lesions. This is because the red blood cells in the human blood can supply the oxygen needed by the tissues and cells of the whole body, and take away part of the carbon dioxide produced. Therefore, the reduction in the number of red blood cells can directly cause the dysfunction of human organs and lead to pathological changes. The elderly, especially those with chronic diseases, are inherently hypoxic. If anemia occurs again, their original chronic diseases will aggravate.

The causes of anemia in the elderly are more specific

Common anemia is caused by iron deficiency, but the situation of the elderly is special, and there are many reasons for anemia.

1. Malnutrition. Many elderly people adopt improper dietary restrictions, such as pure vegetarian diet, with extremely low intake of protein and fat. In addition, with the growth of age, the tooth loss of the elderly, the atrophy of taste buds, and the decline of gastrointestinal function will inevitably affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients, resulting in the lack of hematopoietic raw materials and insufficient production of red blood cells or hemoglobin.
2. Disease factors. Chronic infections, rheumatic diseases, kidney lesions, malignant tumors, blood diseases, etc. can all lead to anemia. There are two points worth pointing out: one is malignant tumors, and the other is blood diseases. Digestive tract tumors and hematopoietic cell tumors are the most common malignant tumors, such as gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, etc., which can lead to anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia, due to long-term small amount of chronic blood loss or acute bleeding. Therefore, once iron deficiency anemia occurs in elderly men or postmenopausal women, the cause must be investigated, especially gastrointestinal tumors should be ruled out. Hematopoietic cell tumors such as leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and multiple myeloma are common in the elderly. The incidence of acute myeloid leukemia increases with age after the age of 65, and the incidence of myelodysplastic syndrome in The age group of 70-79 years old is much higher than that of those younger than 50 years old. In addition, there is multiple myeloma, which has an insidious onset, and sometimes anemia as the first manifestation, which is often misdiagnosed.
3. Drug factors. The elderly often suffer from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, and need long-term medication. The most commonly used anti-platelet aggregation drugs such as aspirin, about 2% of patients who take this drug for a long time will cause anemia due to blood loss in the digestive tract. In addition, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, interferon, etc. can cause anemia through bone marrow suppression, so be vigilant when taking medication. Certain drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, β-lactam antibiotics (cephalosporins, amoxicillin, etc.), anti-tuberculosis drugs (isoniazid, etc.), etc. can also cause anemia.

 

Adjust living habits to ease

Compared with other populations, the clinical manifestations of anemia in the elderly have certain particularities. For example, the general anemia "observation" (pale skin, dull eyelid color, not ruddy oral mucosa, etc.) is not very suitable for the elderly. As the age increases, the elderly often have various physiological signs of aging, such as skin folds, pale or pigmented spots, inflammatory congestion and redness of the eyelid conjunctiva, and wearing dentures that make the color of the gums distorted, which also affects the skin. Accurate determination of oral mucosa color. the
The characteristics of anemia in the elderly are slow and insidious, and special attention should be paid to its symptoms. For example, pale skin and mucous membranes, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, fatigue, palpitation, shortness of breath, and mental changes such as indifference, desirelessness, and slow response. the
Once the above problems occur, anemia should be considered. It should be noted that in addition to checking hemoglobin, fecal occult blood should also be checked for anemia in the elderly. People with long-term chronic anemia should also have a general examination as soon as possible, including lungs, gastrointestinal tract, blood, and genitourinary system. the
The elderly can alleviate the symptoms of anemia by adjusting their living habits. the
1. Ensure sufficient nutrition, especially iron intake, and eat more iron-rich foods, such as lean pork, beef, rabbit meat, chicken, animal liver, beans, green vegetables, etc.

 

2. Combine work and rest, actively participate in physical exercise, increase appetite, do not over-eating, correct partial eclipse in time, and ensure adequate sleep.

3. When symptoms such as limb weakness, fatigue, lethargy, insomnia, palpitation, and pale complexion occur, you should go to the hospital for examination in time to diagnose and treat the primary disease, such as hemorrhoids, chronic gastritis, etc. 

4. If necessary, under the guidance of a doctor, take iron supplements orally. Avoid taking tea when taking iron supplements, because tea contains tannic acid, which can precipitate iron salts and hinder the absorption of iron. Oral iron generally takes 1 to 2 months before the anemia is corrected. When the hemoglobin returns to normal, you should continue to take a small amount of iron for 6 to 8 weeks to increase iron storage. 

 

References:

1. Anemia: Treatment and More

See also:

1. Anemia treatment

2. What Is Blood Test For Iron Called?

3. 2022 Best Home Hemoglobin Meter Buyers Guide

4. Can I take anemia tests at home?

5. How to choose the at-home kidney test?

6. What main factors influence the hemoglobin test for results?

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