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10/9/2024 Managing Anemia of Chronic Disease: Naturopathic Approaches to Boost Health and EnergyRead Now  Anemia occurs when you have low levels of, or weak or poorly formed, red blood cells (RBCs) in the blood, which are vital in keeping your organs’ optimal function. Normally, your body has powerful capabilities to solve this problem on its own, precisely why anemia can remain unnoticed until you experience severe symptoms that will prompt you to visit your healthcare provider. In some instances, anemia can be coincidentally identified during its early stages when you undergo routine screening for work or have pre-existing conditions that need to be monitored regularly, such as in cases of chronic health problems and autoimmune disease. Chronic diseases, in particular, increase your risks of developing anemia as your body attempts to hide iron from the blood as a way to supposedly protect itself. Hence, targeting the root cause of your autoimmune problem and avoiding triggers that may cause severe imbalance to your immune response are essential in not only preventing anemia, but also in keeping your body healthy! Understanding Anemia of Chronic Disease Your liver cells produce a hormone named “hepcidin” to regulate your body’s iron levels. This hormone is responsible for degrading a protein called “ferroportin” that transports iron from the intestine, macrophages (white blood cells), and liver cells into the blood. Balance is maintained in two ways: once iron levels are low in the body, your liver cells produce less hepcidin to allow more absorption of iron into the blood. High iron levels, on the other hand, trigger your liver to produce more hepcidin, causing lower absorption and transport of iron into the blood. However, this balance is disrupted in the presence of chronic inflammation! When this occurs, your body is set into thinking that harmful pathogens are causing damage to your cells, eventually triggering a unique mechanism to reduce available iron for their consumption by increasing the production of hepcidin, regardless of the amount of iron present in the body. This means that iron remains sequestered (hidden) inside your body cells rather than being readily available in the blood to be used for optimal body function. Although not harmful short-term, chronically high levels of hepcidin can affect your body’s efficient ability to make new red blood cells as iron is a significant component in their production. Signs and Symptoms With anemia of chronic disease, you may experience weakness, fatigue, and problems with learning or memory recall.2 You may also feel easily tired when exercising. Looking out for pale gums, conjunctiva (clear layer protecting the eye), palmar creases (single lines on the palms of your hands), and nailbeds is important. Tests should be conducted in order to rule out other causes of such symptoms. When considering lab tests, it is important for your health care provider to not only take a look at your complete blood count, but also review iron, vitamin B, and ferritin levels in the blood as these can support the healthy red blood cells. Additionally, it is important to consider that although a range of reference values are present for every test, what is typically abnormal to one person may be normal to another! Hence, monitoring your personal trends is vital to ensure proper care. Allopathic Options Anemia of chronic disease is primarily managed with methotrexate or corticosteroids, which are medications that suppress your immune system, preventing it from responding and triggering inflammation.1 Although helpful in reducing inflammation, these medications put you at greater vulnerability towards harmful pathogens, opportunistic infections, and cellular mutations that may cause harm by preventing the body from triggering the very response that is activated to protect itself. Boosting Your RBC Levels Since anemia of chronic disease may put you at risk for developing iron deficiency as most of the iron that are supposed to be floating in the blood are hidden in macrophages (white blood cells), taking iron supplements is an effective approach to ensure healthy blood iron levels. However, iron-based supplements may cause you to experience nausea, vomiting, constipation, and stomach pain, all of which can affect your daily activities and well-being.3 Additionally, oral iron supplements may be poorly absorbed in your intestine due to increased production of hepcidin by the liver.3 Botanical medicine options that are effective in boosting your RBC levels without the same risk of unwanted side effects include:
The best and most effective way to prevent and manage anemia is to target the root cause of the underlying inflammation. This may be done through healing the intestines, supporting the health of your cells, and managing any forms of bleeding. Aside from reducing unwanted inflammation, rebuilding your blood supply holistically and supporting your progress with nutrition and supplements with the guidance of your naturopathic physician nurtures recovery and balance. Discover the naturopathic approach to achieve and maintain optimal health today! AuthorKate Nemenzo studied in nursing school as an academic scholar. Her passion for holistic health has led her to become a registered nurse who promotes optimal care throughout her patient’s therapeutic journey. When not writing, she spends her time crocheting, watching Korean dramas, and playing the guitar! Comments are closed.
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THE BLOG AT NATURAL PATH TO WELLNESSAuthorSNatural Path to Wellness values community education and welcomes contributions from writers with a background in Naturopathic Medicine, natural health and wellness, herbalism, homeopathy, Nature Cure, and more. Disclosures & Policies: This and other blog posts may contain affiliate links. Please view our disclosures page for more information.
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