Alcohol Abuse Advice

Kidney Disease Anemia – Simple Tips To Improve Your Iron Levels

Our kidneys do much more complex work than we usually give them credit for. In addition to filtering out wastes and helping our bodies to excrete excess fluids, properly functioning kidneys help to maintain a very sophisticated balance of hormones, enzymes and pH levels that are crucial to the rest of our system working correctly.

For example, efficiently functioning kidneys make a hormone named erythropoietin, or EPO. EPO encourages the bone marrow in our bodies to produce the right quantity of red blood cells. Red blood cells play a very important role in our bodies – they carry much needed oxygen to all of our vital organs and our tissues. However, people who have kidney disorders have kidneys that are not producing sufficient quantities of EPO, which means that their red blood cell count will start to run low. What does this mean? It means that people with kidney disease have an increased risk of anemia.

A doctor can determine if a person is anemic through a simple blood test. They will check the hematocrit, which is the amount of red blood cells contained within a certain volume of blood. Once the levels reach somewhere in the low thirty percent range, doctors may look into the possibility of treatment through dialysis.

A person who suffers from anemia as a complication of their kidney disorder may be constantly tired no matter how much rest they get. They may feel cold, even when their outer surroundings are warm. Their skin may be pale. They may also be short of breath even when they are not exerting themselves. Anemia can also lead to headaches, as the brain is basically oxygen-starved, and women may develop abnormal menstrual cycles.

There are many ways to treat anemia. A traditional doctor may suggest that you begin to take a manufactured form of EPO, the hormone that encourages red blood cell production. The EPO would be injected into your bloodstream a few times per week. Iron supplements or injections may also be recommended. Iron helps to raise your hematocrit to the correct levels.

There are many natural ways to increase your intake of iron. The easiest is through diet. Some foods that have large amounts of necessary iron include lentils, pumpkin seeds, beetroot, parsley, asparagus, beef, raisins, the skins of potatoes, and blackstrap molasses. It is important to note that there are foods that inhibit our body’s absorption of iron, meaning that even if we ingest enough iron, our body cannot use or process it. Some of these foods to avoid are red wine, coffee, tea, soy products, rhubarb, and sweet potatoes. Calcium and zinc rich foods should be eaten at a separate time to iron intake as they reduce the absorption of iron. Foods that help our body to assimilate iron, because of their high vitamin C content, are strawberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and red peppers.

Another great way to combat anemia-related symptoms is to thoroughly oxygenate the body through exercise and deep breathing. A long, brisk walk, followed by some deep breathing yoga or meditation exercises could be a great addition to any program designed to restore kidney health.

It is important to realize that the kidneys are a crucial part of our system as a whole, and kidney problems can start to negatively affect many other parts of the body. On the other hand, by taking initiative to restore health to your kidneys, you will be well on your way to restoring wellbeing to your entire body. This involves both dietary and lifestyle changes to improve both your kidney health and general health. There is also a wide variety of natural supplements available that have shown to both protect the kidneys from damage and improve kidney health in cases of kidney damage.