Anemia

Not that I knew it, but a big feature of recent months has been fatigue brought on by a lack of iron.   Iron is used body to help generate red blood cells.  A good supply of these gives you energy whereas an insufficient supply leads to fatigue - and additional draining pain!  Apparently around  60% of people with arthritis are anemic.

My particular type of anemia is called Normocytic anemia.  Not that that means much (to me), it is more a label indicating anemia with an associated low red blood cell count.  Apparently this can be common with people with diseases like arthritis.

My symptoms that feel can be attributed at least in part to anemia include:

• Pain in my lower legs: My right leg in particular has been painful below the knee.  Lifting it say to get in and out of bed was not nice.
• Weakness in my hands: I have not been able to open jars, use a can opener or turn taps on and off easily.

People with arthritis need a steady supply of good foods.  Because of arthritis, your body uses up nutrients much more quickly than for healthy people.  So you need to alter your diet to give it the nutrition it needs and deserves.  By this I definitely do not mean you must eat more!  Nor do I necessarily mean buying organic food.  What I do mean is choosing the foods you eat and the foods you avoid.

So what are the best foods to correct an iron deficiency?  Dark greens are the simple answer.  Get some cabbage or kale and similar into your daily diet: not once a week but every day!

But what if dark greens are not enough?  Right now my doctor put me on iron tablets to correct my anemia.  The beneficial effects have been almost instant.  Some of my pains have gone, some of my inflammation has gone.  I now have energy!

However iron deficiency is not a simple story.  You cannot eat enough greens and this definitely the best way to correct anemia, when possible.  On the other hand you can take too many tablets.  In fact for some people tablets could be exactly the wrong thing to take.  This could be because your body has other problems causing anemia.  For instance a shortage of vitamin B12 could be the cause.  In all cases of anemia you should consult your doctor.

Right now I feel I must improve my dark greens regime.  Okay I have had a problem, but I feel hopeful this is a breakthrough to a healthier life!