One way to deal with complaints of lack of blood or anemia is to take drugs. There are various types of anemia drugs that can be used, both in the form of supplements, multivitamins, injection drugs, and blood transfusions.
Lack of blood or anemia is a condition when the body lacks red blood cells or hemoglobin. This condition can occur due to several things, namely reduced red blood cell production, massive or prolonged bleeding, to certain diseases that make red blood cells quickly destroyed and damaged.
When experiencing mild anemia, a person may not show any symptoms. But if left untreated, over time this can get worse and lead to severe anemia.
When the lack of blood suffered is severe enough, then a person can experience several symptoms, namely:
- Weak.
- Tired quickly.
- Dizzy.
- Pale.
- Heart beat.
- Nails and hair are brittle.
- Cold hands.
- Heavy or shortness of breath.
These symptoms can be felt severe enough to interfere with daily activities. If you experience some of these symptoms of anemia, it is advisable to consult a doctor to determine what causes the anemia you are experiencing so that the doctor can provide the right anemia medication.
List of Blood Less Drugs
Anemia is divided into several types, namely iron deficiency anemia, aplastic anemia, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency anemia (pernicious anemia), hemolytic anemia, and sickle cell anemia.
Because there are many things that can cause anemia, the treatment also needs to be adjusted to the type of anemia or the factors causing anemia.
After the doctor confirms the diagnosis and determines the factors that cause anemia, there are several types of anemia drugs that the doctor can give, namely:
1. Iron supplements
Iron is one of the raw materials needed by the body to produce hemoglobin (the main component of red blood cells). This mineral can be obtained from eating iron-rich foods, such as meat, liver, seafood, nuts (especially soybeans), and dark chocolate.
Apart from food, iron can also be obtained by taking iron supplements. Therefore, this supplement is often given as a blood loss medication to treat iron deficiency anemia.
Iron supplements are available in the form of tablets, capsules, and syrups that can be purchased at pharmacies. When consuming it, make sure you have read the instructions listed on the packaging or follow the doctor's advice.
Avoid taking other medicines or supplements (except vitamin C supplements) within 2 hours before or after taking this medicine, because of the risk of drug interactions. Iron supplements can also cause some side effects, such as stomach pain, bloating, and making stools look black.
2. Supplement vitamin B12 and folic acid
In addition to iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid are also nutrients the body needs to make red blood cells. Deficiency of one or both of these vitamins can cause vitamin B12 and folate deficiency anemia.
To overcome this type of anemia, the doctor will give you a blood deficiency drug in the form of vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements to meet the needs of these two nutrients.
3. Synthetic erythropoietin
Erythropoietin is a hormone produced by the kidneys to stimulate the production of red blood cells. When the kidneys are severely damaged, it will be difficult for these organs to produce this hormone. As a result, people with kidney disease or severe kidney failure can experience anemia.
To overcome anemia due to kidney damage, the body needs blood deficiency drugs in the form of artificial erythropoietin. This drug is given by injection.
In addition to treating anemia due to kidney disease, this anemia drug can also be used to treat anemia due to side effects of chemotherapy and the drug zidovudine, which is used to treat HIV infection.
The use of the drug erythropoietin should be done under the supervision of a doctor. This is because this blood deficiency drug has serious side effects, such as:
- Increased blood pressure.
- Spontaneous blood clots occur. This can increase the risk of embolism, heart attack, and stroke.
- Increased risk for cancer.
4. Blood transfusion
Blood transfusions are often required to treat severe anemia due to severe, postoperative bleeding, chronic disease, sepsis, aplastic anemia, and genetic disorders, such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.
For people with anemia due to thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, blood transfusions may be performed routinely because the body cannot produce red blood cells normally.
Although it plays an important role as a blood deficiency medicine, blood transfusion also has some risks and side effects, such as fever, allergic reactions to donor blood, to infections.
5. Bone marrow transplant
This method is used to treat anemia due to aplastic anemia, which is a type of anemia that occurs due to impaired bone marrow function. In addition to transplants, this type of anemia is also usually treated with blood transfusions and drugs to weaken the immune system.
Before undergoing a bone marrow transplant to treat anemia, the patient will need to undergo a number of tests to determine if his body can accept a bone marrow donor and find a suitable donor.
This reduces the risk of the patient's body rejecting the bone marrow of the donor to be received.
There are drugs for anemia that must be purchased with a doctor's prescription, some are sold over-the-counter. However, the type of medication for anemia must be adjusted to the type of anemia and its cause. So, for proper treatment, you are advised to consult a doctor first.