What to do if children have severe anemia

Anemia is a disease that is very common in children during their growth period. There are many reasons for this disease. It may be caused by a serious iron deficiency in the child's diet, or it may be due to blood loss when the child was young. These can all lead to anemia in children. There are three levels of anemia: mild, moderate, and severe. If a child suffers from severe anemia, the consequences will be serious. So what should children do if they suffer from severe anemia?

Western medicine treatment of anemia

1. Etiology and treatment:

The principles of anemia treatment focus on taking appropriate measures to eliminate the cause. Many times, the primary disease is much more serious than the anemia itself (such as gastrointestinal cancer), and its treatment is more important than anemia. When the cause of the disease is not clearly diagnosed, drugs should not be taken indiscriminately to complicate the situation and increase the difficulty of diagnosis.

2. Drug treatment:

Avoid abusing blood-enriching drugs and strictly follow the indications of various drugs. For example, vitamin B12 and folic acid are suitable for the treatment of megaloblastic anemia; iron supplements are only used for iron deficiency anemia and cannot be used for non-iron deficiency anemia because they will cause iron overload and affect the function of important organs (such as the heart, liver, pancreas, etc.); vitamin B6 is used for sideroblastic anemia; corticosteroids are used to treat autoimmune hemolytic anemia; testosterone is used for aplastic anemia, etc.

3. Blood transfusion:

The main advantage of blood transfusion is that it can quickly reduce or correct anemia. Therefore, the indications for blood transfusion must be correctly understood. If a large amount of blood transfusion is required, concentrated red blood cells can be transfused to reduce the overload on the cardiovascular system and reduce transfusion reactions.

4. Splenectomy:

The spleen is an important organ that destroys blood cells and is also related to the production of antibodies.

5. Bone marrow transplantation:

Bone marrow transplantation is a new medical technology in recent years. It is still in the research and trial stage. It is mainly used for patients in the early stages of acute aplastic anemia who have never received a blood transfusion or have received very little blood transfusion. If the transplant is successful, the patient may be cured.

TCM treatment of anemia

1. Qi and blood deficiency anemia

The main symptoms include dull or sallow complexion, pale nails, dizziness, palpitations, poor insomnia, fatigue, numbness of hands and feet, scanty or delayed menstruation in women, pale tongue, and weak pulse. It is more common in patients with long-term illness, blood loss, and women after childbirth or with heavy menstruation.

The treatment replenishes qi and blood, strengthens the spleen and nourishes the liver.

The prescription includes Astragalus, Angelica, Rehmannia, White Peony, Processed Polygonum multiflorum, Lycium barbarum, Chuanxiong, Atractylodes, and Roasted Licorice.

2. Anemia due to liver and kidney yin deficiency

The main symptoms include pale lips and nails, dizziness, tinnitus, dry eyes, hot face, dry throat and mouth, dull pain in the ribs, fever in the five parts of the body, or hot flashes and night sweats, red tongue with little fluid, little or no coating, and a thready and rapid pulse. It is more common in patients with long-term illness and the elderly.

The treatment nourishes the liver and kidneys, nourishes blood and clears heat.

The prescription includes cooked rehmannia, angelica, white peony root, Ligustrum lucidum, Eclipta prostrata, Cornus officinalis, yam, wolfberry, peony bark, Poria cocos, and roasted licorice.

3. Anemia due to weak spleen and stomach

The main symptoms include weak constitution, sallow complexion, pale lips, dull nails, poor appetite, abdominal distension, loose stools, pale tongue, thin white greasy coating, and deep and thready pulse. It is more common in patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases, women and children.

Treats the spleen and stomach, replenishes qi and nourishes blood.

The prescription includes Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Poria cocos, Chinese angelica, Chicken gizzard lining, Atractylodes macrocephala, Tangerine peel, Pinellia ternata, Costus root, Amomum villosum (added later), and roasted Licorice root.

4. Anemia due to spleen and kidney yang deficiency

The main symptoms include sallow or pale complexion, cold body and limbs, pale lips and nails, general weakness, cold pain in waist and knees, loose stools or diarrhea at dawn, clear and long urine, pale and fat tongue or with teeth marks, and deep and thready pulse. It is more common in patients with long-term illness and the elderly.

Treatment: invigorates Qi and strengthens the spleen, warms and nourishes the kidney yang.

The prescription includes astragalus, poria, dodder seed, antler glue (melted), processed aconite (fried first), white atractylodes, dried tangerine peel, magnolia bark, psoralea corylifolia, angelica, papaya, cinnamon, and roasted licorice.

When a child is anemic, he should be given more blood-enriching foods, such as red dates and wolfberries, which have the effect of replenishing qi and blood, and replenishing qi deficiency. Give the child more of them. When the child's illness is serious, the child must be treated with medication. Donkey-hide gelatin is very good for the child's body, and such medicine will not have any side effects on the child's body. There are many benefits to eating more.