anaemia

Anaemia

The most common deficiency leading to anemia is a shortage of the oxygen-carrying mineral, iron, which normally forms the heart of hemoglobin molecules in all red blood cells. Because the iron from old red blood cells is stored in the liver and re-used, the diet needs to make up only for the iron lost in the cells shed from the skin or the intestinal lining. Blood contains about 2.5gm of iron in adult, and the liver reserve adds roughly another 1.5gm. the most common source of deficiency is menstruation. Although the average Western diet contains about 10mg of iron per day, we normally absorb only about 1mg. During pregnancy and breast feeding, absorption rises to about 3mg per day, a topping up operation which is not understood. But a half-teaspoon of blood contains roughly 1mg of iron so that menstruation or other kinds of slow bleeding can easily produce iron deficiency. Pregnant women and young children whose blood volume must expand with their bodies are obviously at risk of this form of anaemia.

The best food sources of iron are certain vegetables, notably soybeans. Bread also contains iron, but although whole wheat contains more than white or brown, another chemical in the former, physic acid, impairs mineral absorption.

In Ayurveda anaemia is known as ‘pandu’. According to Ayurveda followings are the causes of this disease.

(1) Loss of blood by excessive menstruation, child-birth, injury, bleeding from the gastro-intestinal tract, due to certain diseases like purpura and haemophilia which are characterized by bleeding.

(2) Formation of defective blood due to infections, drugs and toxins.

(3) Deficiency of iron.

(4) Defective absorption of substance in diet, which can’t enrich the blood.

One of the most striking symptom of anaemia is the pallor of the skin. The color of the internal lining of eyelid becomes yellow. There is weakness, giddiness, breathing is shallow, the rapid pulse and low blood pressure.

In severe cases the tongue in often sore and the nails of the fingers brittle and concave instead of convex.

This disease has many stages and it’s treatment should be done very carefully. If this disease is ignored, it may turn into pernicious anaemia which is more difficult to cure.

In some serious cases, the patient may have to be given a blood transfusion to make up the loss of blood as happens in traumas like serve hemorrhage due to injury or bursting of an ulcer in the abdominal region.

Before treatment, the exact cause of the malady should be ascertained. If it is of a mild nature and has been occurred due to insufficient nutrition, then the massive doses of the lacking substances could cure it. If it is due to stomach or bone-marrow or malfunctioning of the liver Punarnavati Mundura can be given.

One gm. of this medicine should be given with honey four times a day. This medicine contains about 22 ingredients. This formula possesses rejuvenating properties. The viscera or part thereof, the vitiation of which produces anaemia, gets rejuvenating by the use of this drug. Other drugs included in this formula also stimulate the affected organs and regulate their functions. Some of them increase the appetite organs and regulate their functions. Some of them increase the appetite of the patient, and thus, food is properly digested. Some of these medicines may become a little toxic if not used in the proper dose. In serious cases of anaemia, these drugs are to be used under the proper supervision of an expert Vaidya.

In this disease, sour things specially curd, and fried things, are prohibited. Green vegetables are considered to be very useful. Sweet prepared by adding til seeds (without removing the outer husk) in a syrup prepared of Gur (sugar candy) is to be very helpful. This specially given when the liver function is seriously affected.

Fruit juices, milk, green vegetable and light food free from fats and sour substances are recommended for an amaemia patient. Sweet mango is very helpful in this disease. ‘Triphala’ water (three myrobatian soaked in water for one night) is the best remedy for constipation, if the patient is suffering this.

According to Ayurveda, this disease is considered to be caused by the vitiation of Pitta. Purgation is considered to be the best therapy for correcting Pitta. Therefore. While treating a case, constipation is corrected in the first instance. In a constipated patient, the medicines mentioned above do not work well. Punarnava mundura, itself, works as a mild laxative when administered in a large dose.

Apart from the medicine described above, there are many other medicines mentioned in Ayurveda, which are to be given in specific types of anaemia.

Vyoshadi Ghirata, Pandu Panchanan Rasa. Lauhesava, Phaltrikadi. Kashaya are some of the other standard Ayurveda preparation useful in anaemia.