Iron Deficiency Anemia Essay examples -- Health Medicine Papers

Iron Deficiency Anemia I. Introduction Iron Deficiency Anemia affects millions of individuals across the world. This disease strikes many more women than men and has harmful effects on all who suffer from this deficiency that causes oxygen-carrying capacity to decrease. The causes can vary amongst different groups, but the aggravating symptoms remain constant. Much of the research on Iron Deficiency Anemia concentrates on not only the treatment of this disease, but also the prevention of it. To attain a better understanding of how to treat this problem, one must clearly know what Iron Deficiency Anemia means, what causes this disease, the effects of it, and finally how to cure it. II. What Is Iron Deficiency Anemia? Iron is a mineral that is found the in hemoglobin of the Red Blood Cells. It facilitates in the transport of oxygen all over the body. Without this mineral, oxygen cannot be carried to its full capacity. 1 out of 10 women and small children have iron deficiencies. Lacking iron causes lethargy and a weakened immune system. Children who do not have an adequate intake of iron put themselves at risk for intellectual developmental problems. However, an iron deficient person is not necessarily anemic. 7.8 million women are iron deficient, while only 3.3 million women are anemic (http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9704/iron_def.htm). When the deficiency becomes so severe that the circulating Red Blood Count and the minerals Ht, Hg, and Hem drop below normal, anemia occurs (See Figure 1). The hormone androgen causes men and women to have different normal values of the hemogram (http://www.medstudents.com.br/hemat/hemat4.htm). Low ferritin (iron storage molecule) and high TIBC (tota... ... â€Å"Improvement in iron deficiency anemia through therapy with ferric ammonium citrate and vitamin C.† April 1991; 37 (2): 161-71. Yonezawa, K, Hokkaido Igaku Zasshi, â€Å"Effect of blood hemoglobin on concentration on anaerobic threshold.† July 1991; 66(4): pages 458-67. http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9704/iron_def.htm http://www.ohsu.edu/som-hemonc/handouts/deloughery/printanemia.html http://www.medstudents.com.br/hemat/hemat4.htm http://www.healthy.net/library/books/healthyself/womens/anemia.htm (http://riceinfo.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/iron.html) http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/sep_96/browned.htm http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/pted/htm/iron.htm http://www.saonet.ucla.edu/health/healthed/handouts/iron.htm http://www.cariboo.bc.ca/schs/medtech/rice/IronDeficiency.html http://pages.prodigy.com/CA/nutrigenie/nsnfw35.html