Contents:
- Medical Video: Risk Factors For Chronic Kidney Disease - Manipal Hospital
- How do I know if I have anemia?
- What is "anemia related to deficiency"?
- What causes iron deficiency anemia (ADB)?
- What are other causes of anemia?
- Are people on dialysis at risk not getting enough iron?
- Lack of iron-rich foods in your diet
- Blood loss during hemodialysis
- How is anemia treated in people on dialysis?
Medical Video: Risk Factors For Chronic Kidney Disease - Manipal Hospital
You may be familiar with the term "anemia" because having anemia is common if you have chronic kidney disease. Anemia occurs when you don't have enough red blood cells. In chronic kidney disease, the kidneys do not make enough of a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO), which your body needs to make red blood cells. When there is not enough EPO, you make fewer red blood cells and anemia develop. In kidney disease, anemia can occur even before kidney failure and this condition is very common in people who are on dialysis.
How do I know if I have anemia?
Even though not everyone has the same symptoms, anemia can cause you:
- Have a little energy for your daily activities
- Looks pale
- Feel tired or weak
- Have cold hands and feet
- Easily offended
- Have brittle nails
- Having an unusual desire to eat strange things like ice cubes or dust
- Have a bad appetite
- Feeling dizzy or headache
- Having trouble sleeping
- Feeling short of breath
- Having difficulty thinking clearly
- Have a fast heartbeat
- Feel depressed or "in sadness"
- Have restless leg syndrome - a condition of uncomfortable tingling or feeling crawling on your feet
Your doctor can find out if you have anemia by measuring hemoglobin (Hb) in your blood. Hemoglobin transports oxygen to all body cells as energy. When you are on the dialysis process, your hemoglobin must be checked regularly.
What is "anemia related to deficiency"?
"Iron deficiency anemia" means anemia occurs due to too little iron in the body. Iron is important in many ways. This substance is a mineral that is needed for overall good health and healthy blood cells. Iron helps your body make hemoglobin, which is found in red blood cells. If there is not enough iron, red blood cells will not have enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen.
What causes iron deficiency anemia (ADB)?
Iron is found in many foods, and diet is the main source of iron. Apart from not getting enough iron in the diet, other causes of ADB are:
- Blood loss due to accident, surgery, stomach ulcers, kidney tumors or bladder tumors, cancer or polyps in the intestine or other causes
- Infection or inflammation in your body
- Intestinal disease causes disruption of iron absorbed in the intestine
What are other causes of anemia?
- Too little vitamin B12 or folic acid in your body
- Diseases such as kidney disease, liver disease, HIV / AIDS, lupus (autoimmune disease) or cancer
- Diseases that harm or destroy your blood cells, such as sickle cell disease
- Some types of anemia can be reduced.
Are people on dialysis at risk not getting enough iron?
Yes. People who do dialysis need extra iron because:
Lack of iron-rich foods in your diet
Some iron-rich foods such as red meat and beans may be limited in your dialysis diet. Without enough iron-rich food, you are more at risk of not getting enough iron. Your nutritionist can help you choose foods that are good sources of iron, vitamins and other minerals. Check with your dietitian before making changes to your diet.
Blood loss during hemodialysis
At the end of each hemodialysis, a small amount of blood is usually left in the dialyzer (artificial kidney). This can be a source of iron loss over time.
In fact, when you are on dialysis, you may need extra iron because you will take another anemia medication that will use your iron.
A thorough anemia evaluation will be carried out so that the right management plan can be made for you. Your hemoglobin should be checked regularly to monitor how well your anemia treatment works.
Iron levels also need to be tested because iron helps your body make enough hemoglobin. Having enough iron helps you have the recommended hemoglobin target range.
How is anemia treated in people on dialysis?
In people on dialysis, anemia is treated with:
Drug, called erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA). ESA replaces low EPO in people with kidney failure, so they can make red blood cells.
Extra iron. Diet alone cannot provide enough iron to meet your needs. Additional iron may be needed. In fact, after you start using ESA, you will make more red blood cells and your iron supply will run out faster. When you use ESA, iron therapy helps to:
- Prevent iron deficiency
- Reducing the amount of ESA needed
- Keep your hemoglobin (Hb) within the target range, which is 11-12
You might be wondering if you might have too much iron. The use of ESA helps reduce the buildup of iron. Regular testing of iron status is done to make sure your iron level is right for the type of dialysis you are doing. The amount of iron you need and how it will be given depends on the type of dialysis you get.
If you undergo peritoneal dialysis, additional iron can:
- Taken orally as a supplement
- By IV (this means "intravenous" or infusion into a vein.)
If you receive hemodialysis, the best way to get additional iron is IV through a dialysis machine.
