In old age, all organs of the body deteriorate, and the hematopoietic system is no exception, so the elderly are often prone to anemia. Most of the anemia in the elderly is secondary, and the primary causes are often infections, kidney diseases, liver diseases and malignant tumors, etc. Therefore, we should be vigilant. Common anemias in the elderly are as follows: 1. Iron deficiency anemia: It is the most common among the elderly, accounting for 33-66%, with more women than men. Most of the patients have reduced serum iron content, but the average hemoglobin concentration and average red blood cell volume are not low, so it cannot be explained by iron deficiency alone, and only 1/3 of them really need to be treated with iron,
In 2/3 of cases, there are other pathologies. In terms of pathogenesis, attention should first be paid to the presence of obvious or insidious chronic blood loss, and peptic ulcers and tumors should be excluded, while women should be aware of whether they are caused by gynecological tumors. In addition, hemorrhoids are also a common cause of blood loss. After the primary disease is detected, it should be actively treated. With the treatment of the primary disease, the anemia will be improved, and iron can also be given at the same time. 2. Megaloblastic anemia: It is caused by vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency. The gastrointestinal function of the elderly is weakened and the absorption function is also reduced, and the serum levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 in the elderly are low, so when the elderly are anemic, they should be treated with folic acid and vitamin B12 appropriately. The above two kinds of anemia are nutritional anemia caused by the lack or insufficient supplementation of hematopoietic materials.
The elderly should pay attention to eat liver, lean meat, eggs, green vegetables and other foods rich in iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. 3.Aplastic anemia: The bone marrow of the elderly is prone to mild relative aplasia, and about 10-20% of reblasts occur in the elderly. It is important to distinguish aplastic anemia from myelofibrosis and anemia caused by malignant tumor. Treatment can be done by taking androgens, immunosuppressants and herbal medicines under the guidance of doctors. In conclusion, anemia in the elderly should not be ignored, and once found, a comprehensive examination should be conducted to actively search for the cause so as to clarify the diagnosis and avoid delaying the condition and treatment.