By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
Have you felt tired lately? Do you find it increasingly difficult to get through the day? If that's the case, you're easy prey to the T.V. commercial that says this may be due to "tired blood". Or you may listen to a friend's advice and buy over-the-counter medication hoping to put the spring back in your step. If you are actually suffering from anemia, you can fall into a fatal trap by being your own doctor.
There's a great misconception about tired blood. Severe anemia does cause fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, increased heart rate, and even chest pain. But these symptoms appear only when patients have lost huge amounts of blood. The majority of patients with anemia do not have any significant symptoms. Rather, the diagnosis is made during a routine annual blood test.
The most common cause of tired blood is iron deficiency anemia. Red blood cells contain a protein, hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues. Iron is a necessary component of hemoglobin and a deficiency of iron means less hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells.
Another popular misconception is that too little iron results from insufficient amounts in the diet. This is rarely the case. First of all, long before society began thinking of recycling our diminishing resources, our bodies had accepted the wisdom of not wasting iron.
This human recycling process is so efficient that the body only loses about one milligram of iron a day, a measly amount. Only impoverished people or those on restricted diets need worry about a lack of iron in the diet. In fact, most of us ingest so much iron that the body only absorbs about 10 per cent of iron consumed.
Iron deficiency anemia acts like a car losing oil quicker than it can be replaced. In humans it's the loss of blood that is the culprit. The most common hidden site is persistent bleeding from lesions in the bowel. Or the symptomatic bleeding may be obvious when women experience profuse periods.
Gastritis, an inflammation of the lining of the stomach is an increasing cause of 20th century blood loss. This is because "pillitis" has become so rampant in our society. As Sir William Osler, Johns Hopkins' famous physician once remarked, "A desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature that distinguishes man from other animals."
Patients forget they rarely get anything for nothing when pills are swallowed to erase every ache and pain. Many of these medications cause gastritis. The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter reports that small amounts of blood can be found in 70 per cent of patients taking these drugs.
Persistent bleeding can also result from stomach ulcers, large bowel polyps and malignancy. That's why you must never be your own doctor. As has been aptly said," He who treats himself has a fool for a patient." A cancer that is curable may go undiagnosed for months while patients unwittingly accept the T.V. diagnosis that says increasing fatigue is due to tired blood.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency (pernicious anemia) primarily occurs in elderly people. It results from an inability to absorb B-12. And for unknown reasons it is more likely to occur in fair-haired people of northern European descent.
B-12, like iron, is needed for the production of red blood cells. But it is also required to maintain a healthy nervous system. A deficiency causes numbness, tingling sensations in the hands and feet, confusion, depression, and an abnormal sense of balance.
Large amounts of B-12 are stored in the liver so it's impossible to develop this deficiency overnight. Fortunately, it can be adequately treated by monthly injections of vitamin B-12.
Folic acid deficiency, however ,can make its presence felt in just a few weeks since the body is unable to store folic acid. It's also needed for the production of red blood cells. Elderly people or alcoholics whose diets are deficient in leafy vegetables are candidates for this type of anemia. It's corrected by either taking folic acid tablets, or better still, improving the diet.
My advice is not to develop, "pillitis". Sir Thomas Syndenham years ago remarked, "The arrival of a good clown in town has more beneficial effect on the health of a town than 20 asses laden with drugs." It's still true today. Genuine "tired blood" is a rare diagnosis in this country. Although there may be a lot of weary people for other reasons.
Be sure to see your doctor if you suffer from increasing fatigue. But it would take the wisdom of Solomon to combat the millions of dollars spent convincing people that all they need is a magic elixir to put the tiger back in their tank.
W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com
My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:
Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1
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