What is Anaemia?

Ayurveda View of Anaemia

In the treatment of anemia with Ayurveda, it’s always advisable to start treatment with the identification of the causative agent with the patient. Ayurveda establishes the cause of anemia through the vital energies inside the body known as ‘doshas. The doshas are through which process in the body is run, that each one is responsible for a specific part of them.

In Ayurveda, there are three doshas and in each one of them, anemia is due to different reasons which are described further. There is one primary anemia type that is a Pitta type. It usually occurs due to liver diseases such as hepatitis and vitamin B12 deficiency. Bleeding gums can also be one of the reasons. While the anemia in the Vata type is caused by iron deficiency. However, in the Kapha type anemia is due to energy protein deficiency and you can also see some signs such as swelling.

What is the cause of Anaemia?

• The most common cause of anemia is low levels of iron in the body. This type of anemia is called iron-deficiency anemia. Your body needs a certain amount of iron to make hemoglobin, the substance that moves oxygen throughout your body. However, iron-deficiency anemia is just one type. Other types are caused by:

  Diets lacking in vitamin B12, or you can’t use or absorb Vitamin B12 (like pernicious anemia).
  Diets lacking in folic acid also called folate, or your body can’t use folic acid correctly (like folate-deficiency anemia).
  Inherited blood disorders (like sickle cell anemia or thalassemia).
  Conditions that cause red blood cells to break down too fast (like hemolytic anemia).
  Chronic conditions cause your body to not have enough hormones to create red blood cells. These include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, advanced kidney disease, lupus, and other long-term diseases.
  Blood loss is related to other conditions such as ulcers, hemorrhoids or gastritis.

Symptoms of Anaemia

• Several signs and symptoms occur in all types of anemia, such as fatigue, shortness of breath and feeling cold. Others include:

  Dizziness or weakness.
  Headache.
  Sore tongue.
  Pale skin, dry skin, or easily bruised skin.
  Unintended movement in the lower leg (restless legs syndrome).
  Fast heartbeat.

Ayurvedic Treatment of Anaemia

Other types of anemia may require other types of treatment. For instance, genetic disorders (like beta-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia) may require bone marrow transplants.

• • If CKD is causing your anemia, in addition to iron supplementation (through oral or IV means), treatment could also include injections of erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is a hormone that tells the bone marrow to make red blood cells.

  • Anemia is also linked to cancer in some cases — both in terms of anemia being a symptom and in terms of cancer treatment. Both radiation and chemotherapy can cause anemia. It might be necessary to stall further cancer treatment until the anemia is improved by iron, blood transfusions, getting necessary B vitamins and/or getting shots of drugs to stimulate your body to produce EPO.

    Home Remedies for Anaemia

    • Beetroot

      The vegetable that you can fully trust for curing your anemia is beetroot. As this vegetable is enriched with natural iron, it helps in increasing the hemoglobin count in the blood. Hence, with prolonged consumption, the level of oxygen in the blood gradually increases.

      You can eat beetroot in the cooked form or as a raw salad. Alternatively, you can even mash and liquefy this wondrous vegetable and prepare a glass of beetroot juice too.

      Citrus Fruits

      It has been found that regular consumption of vitamin C has improved the conditions of patients suffering from acute anemia. Vitamin C helps the blood to absorb a greater quantity of iron.

      Therefore, make it a habit of consuming natural sources of Vitamin C of any form regularly, be it orange, lemon, sweet lime, or lemon.

      Blackstrap Molasses

      As blackstrap molasses is a natural source of vitamin B, iron, and other essential minerals, it is often recommended to patients suffering from anemia. When you consume this natural ingredient daily, it enhances the production of hemoglobin in the blood so that you can recover from anemia.

      You can consume blackstrap molasses in the form of a drink by mixing one teaspoon of the molasses with a mug of hot milk.

      Spinach

      Anaemia is often caused due to a deficiency of folic acid in the blood when the bloodstream cannot produce as much haemoglobin as is required in a human body. Such medical situations can be handled if you consume spinach regularly. This leafy green is a natural source of vitamin B12, folic acid, and other vital nutrients, and shows its favourable effects very soon if you make it a part of your daily platter.

      Bananas

      Bananas are filled with essential nutrients, vitamin C, folate, potassium, and iron – everything that your body needs to generate red blood cells and improve hemoglobin count. Consuming green or ripe bananas can help improve the levels of iron by a significant margin.

      Dates, Raisins, and Figs

      Raisins and dates are an excellent sources of vitamin C and iron. Vitamin C helps boosts the immune system, thus helping your body to absorb iron more efficiently. Sweet and plump figs, on the other hand, are packed with the goodness of iron, vitamin A, magnesium, and folate. Consuming a handful of soaked figs, and dates and raisins at least thrice a week in the morning can improve your haemoglobin levels.