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Disorders of the Blood and its Circulation:-Anaemia

Disease Organs

ANAEMIA

Anaemia is a condition where the amount of blood in the body is less the normal. Its chief symptom is paleness of skin, a wan face, disinclination to wards work of any kind, loss of appetite and a general lack of well-being. In order to understand its ramifications, a look at the composition of the blood is essential. The blood consists, in addition to the fluid, of corpuscles, minute bodies of the size of eight thousandth part of an inch. They are red corpuscles, white corpuscles and platelets. In the blood are also the various salts and proteins which nourish the tissues and also the waste products like uric acid which must be removed from the body. The red corpuscles act as carriers of oxygen. Every cubic millimeter of blood contains five million red blood corpuscles. The white corpuscles are the minute warriors which nature has equipped the blood with. Their chief function is to fight infection: the pus from the wounds, when examined under a microscope, will reveal the presence of millions upon millions of these dead warriors.

Anaemia is caused by many factors, the chief among them being: loss of blood due to injury, menstruation in excessive quantities, hemorrhage from piles; defective blood formation due to infections, toxins, and drugs; inadequate intake and absorption of iron.

The most striking symptom of anaemia is pallor, the internal lining of the eyes, weakness and giddiness. In severe cases the patient may lose consciousness on the slightest exertion. The breathing is rapid, the pulse shallow and the blood pressure low. the nail of the fingers may be brittle and concave instead of being convex. A slight enlargement of the spleen and diminution in gastric acidity is also noticed in some cases. In the case of the inability of certain constitutions to provide what is known as the intrinsic factor, it may develop into pernicious anaemia which is essentially a disease of the middle age. It leads to premature graying of the hair and complete absence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The main change in the blood during anemia is a progressive dimunition of the red corpuscles, even though the hemoglobin content does not go down proportionately. The total white cell content is also diminished.

Allopathic depends mostly on administration of iron and vitamin B¹² to the patient but ignores the vital need of strengthening the constitution so that it cat manufacture these elements for the body’s needs. The naturopath knows what is to be done. The disease strikes mostly the young who should be living examples of healthy human beings. It is caused by a wrong way of living, irregular hours, addiction to smoking and drinking and almost no exercise. With anaemia come diseases like constipation, dyspepsia and nervous. Palpitation and flatulence may also follow the onset of anaemia.

Men may suffer from night emissions and the women from scanty discharge during menstruation.

Iron, which is administered by the traditional physician to the anaemia patient is a companion of chlorophyll and is abundantly available in vegetable greens, bran of wheat, raisins, carrot, oranges and dates. The ingestion of these foods is a must to cure anaemia.

Light exercise should also be undertaken to tone up the system. Sun bathing in the morning for about a quarter of an hour daily is also a way to store up the elements that fight anaemia.

Anaemia can also be fought with the help of massages. The patient must bathe in cold water in the morning and rub his body dry with the palms of his hands.

The anaemia patient must have his full quota of sleep and keep cheerful. Anaemia born out of diseases like chronic malaria, bleeding piles, syphilis or loss of blood due to injury can be cured only if those diseases are attended to first.

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