ANAEMIA TREATMENT DEPENDS ON THE CAUSE

Iron-deficiency anaemia.

Treatment for this form of anaemia usually involves taking iron supplements and making changes to your diet. If the underlying cause of iron deficiency is loss of blood – other than from menstruation – the source of the bleeding must be located and stopped. This may involve surgery.

Vitamin deficiency anaemias.

Treatment for folic acid and B12 deficiency involves dietary supplements and increasing these nutrients in your diet. If your digestive system has trouble absorbing vitamin B12 from the food you eat, you may need vitamin B12 shots. At first, you may receive the shots every other day. Eventually, you’ll need shots just once a month, which may continue for life, depending on your situation.

Anaemia of chronic disease.

There’s no specific treatment for this type of anaemia. Doctors focus on treating the underlying disease. If symptoms become severe, a blood transfusion or injections of synthetic erythropoietin, a hormone normally produced by your kidneys, may help stimulate red blood cell production and ease fatigue.

Aplastic anaemia.

Treatment for this anaemia may include blood transfusions to boost levels of red blood cells. You may need a bone-marrow transplant if your bone marrow is diseased and can’t make healthy blood cells.

Anaemias associated with bone marrow disease.

Treatment of these various diseases can include medication, chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants.

Haemolytic anaemias.

Managing haemolytic anaemias includes avoiding suspect medications, treating related infections and taking drugs that suppress your immune system, which may be attacking your red blood cells. Depending on the severity of your anaemia, a blood transfusion or plasmapheresis may be necessary. Plasmapheresis is a type of blood-filtering procedure. In certain cases, removal of the spleen can be helpful.

Sickle-cell anaemia.

Treatment for this anaemia may include the administration of oxygen, pain-relieving drugs and oral and intravenous fluids to reduce pain and prevent complications. Doctors also may recommend blood trans

fusions, folic acid supplements and antibiotics. A bone marrow transplant may be an effective treatment in some circumstances.