Contents:
- Medical Video: Medical School - Iron Deficiency Anemia
- Anemia related to vitamin B6 deficiency
- Anemia related to vitamin B12 deficiency
- Anemia related to folate deficiency
- Treatment for anemia related to vitamin deficiency
Medical Video: Medical School - Iron Deficiency Anemia
Anemia related to vitamin deficiency occurs because a person's body does not get enough nutrients used to produce healthy red blood cells. Vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid (vitamin B9 or) all play a role in creating the red blood cells needed to provide oxygen to cells throughout the body. If this vitamin level is low in a person's body, anemia can occur.
This type of anemia occurs most commonly in old age, especially for those who have a lower appetite. Studies have found that 13 percent of people older than 65 have vitamin B12 deficiency, and about 5 percent of them have folate deficiency. Vegetarians also have an increased risk of contracting anemia related to vitamin deficiencies because meat is a major source of vitamin B12.
The cause of anemia related to vitamin deficiency depends on what lack of important vitamins in your body.
Anemia related to vitamin B6 deficiency
Your body needs vitamin B6 to produce hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that is needed to provide oxygen throughout the body. This form of vitamin deficiency anemia most often occurs when you do not eat enough foods rich in vitamin B6, such as cereals, nuts, bananas, nuts, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin B6 deficiency can also be caused by certain drugs, including Nydrazid (isoniazid), used to treat tuberculosis and L-DOPA, treatment for Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions.
Anemia related to vitamin B12 deficiency
This vitamin is important in the production of healthy red blood cells. There are several reasons a person can have vitamin B12 deficiency, including:
- Most people get their vitamin B12 from meat, fish, eggs and milk products. People who don't eat enough from these foods, such as vegetarians, are at risk of anemia related to vitamin deficiency. Alcohol can interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12, making alcoholics also another risk group.
- Intestinal or digestive disorders. Conditions such as celiac disease and Crohn's disease can inhibit the body's ability to absorb vitamin B12. Parents may also have a condition called achlorhydria, where the body does not produce enough stomach acid to release vitamin B12 in their food for absorption by the intestine. Gastric bypass surgery performed to produce weight loss can also cause a form of anemia related to vitamin deficiency.
- Pernicious anemia. To be able to absorb vitamin B12, nutrients that must be bound to proteins produced in the stomach are called intrinsic factors. In pernicious anemia, the body's immune system is active by itself and destroys gastric cells that produce intrinsic factors. B12 cannot be absorbed, and anemia develops.
Anemia related to folate deficiency
Red blood cells made without enough folate in the body tend to be large and defective, and die quickly. Folate, also known as folic acid, another vitamin B - B9. The causes of folate deficiency include:
- Folate can be found in green leafy vegetables, yeast and liver. Diets that consume less food can cause anemia related to vitamin deficiency. Alcohol also interferes with folate absorption.
- Intestinal disorders. Conditions such as celiac disease can interfere with folate absorption by the intestine.
- Certain medications can interfere with folate absorption, especially anti-seizure drugs such as phenytoin, primidone, and phenobarbital.
- Pregnant women have an increased need for folate, which can cause folate deficiency if they don't use folate supplements.
Treatment for anemia related to vitamin deficiency
Treatment of anemia related to vitamin deficiency most often involves improving the diet to include vitamin-rich foods where the body is deficient. You can also use vitamin supplements orally or, in serious cases, also with injections.
If your vitamin deficiency anemia is caused by an intestinal or digestive disorder, your doctor needs to treat the cause. Meanwhile, vitamin supplements or injections can keep your red blood cell count rising. People with pernicious anemia must receive injections of vitamin B12 for the rest of their lives.
In all cases, after the body begins to receive sufficient amounts of needed vitamins, anemia related to vitamin deficiency can recover within a few weeks.
