Folic acid Deficiency (anaemia) | Medtick
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Folic acid Deficiency (anaemia)

What is it?

Folic acid helps to produce red blood cells in the bone marrow, a lack of these vitamin causes red blood cells to become larger than they should and as a result the red blood cells do not deliver oxygen effectively to the rest of the body.

We also need folic acid to:

  • Need to develop foetus (unborn child) nervous system
  • Break down proteins to amino acids to give us energy.
  • This condition is also referred as Megaloblastic anaemia.

Cause

Treatments

  • Renal kidney dialysis

Medication

  • Antibiotics: Trimethoprim
  • Antacids: H2 blockers
  • Stomach ulcer healing medication and heartburn :Proton-pump inhibitors
  • Cholesterol Lowering Drugs:
    Cholestyramine (Questran, Questran Light)
    Colestipol (Colestid)
    Colesevelam (Cholestagel)
  • Epilepsy and Pain Relief:
    • Phenobarbitone
    • Primidone (Mysoline)
    • Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
    • Phenytoin (Epanutin)
  • Non-Steroid anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS)
  • Used in Chron’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: Sulphasalazine
  • Diuretics: Triameterene
  • Estrogen: Birth control pills ,HRT, Oestrogen supplements
  • Cancer, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Immunosuppressant: Methotrexate
  • Anti-Parasite (anti-malarial): Pyrimethamine, Daraprim
  • Diabetes, Polycystic Ovaries: Metformin (Glucophage, Bolamyn MR,Competact,Eucreas)

Symptoms

  • Balance and dizziness problems?
  • Headache which is on and off or a constant headache longer than 24 hours?
  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
  • Sensitivity to every day noise and/or ringing noise within and/or difficulty hearing
  • Short of breath or breathing difficulties?
  • Lack of energy?
  • Heart palpitations, irregular heartbeats?
  • Altered sense of taste?
  • Desire to eat non-food items, such as ice, paper or clay?
  • Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)?
  • Dry, flaking, spoon-shaped nails?
  • Painful ulcers (open sores) on the corners of your mouth (angular chelosis)?
  • Pale looking?
  • Sore, smooth looking tongue?
  • Skin very itchy?
  • Yellow looking eyes?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

Further tests are required for :

Megaloblastic anemia

  • Condition in which the bone marrow produces unusually large, structurally abnormal, immature red blood cells (megaloblasts) and this cause a lack of folic acid and/or vitamin b12, hence further tests are required to differentiate from other forms of anaemia especially pernicious anaemia which is a lack of vitamin b12.
  • These blood cells are very slow moving have low amount of haemoglobin  and not as many of the red blood cells are produced resulting in anaemia.
  • If untreated in infants it can lead to: Hereditary orotic aciduria.

Anaemia can also be caused by:

If have any of the conditions below one should have a test for celiac disease:

Sources

  • Cereals
  • Dark Green Leafy Vegetables (Spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus)
  • Eggs
  • Fruits (Oranges, bananas, cantaloupe, avocados, and other citrus fruits)
  • Legumes (Dried beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts)
  • Liver
  • Nuts and Seeds (Peanuts, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts)
  • Okra
  • Seafood
  • Yeast and Beef Extracts

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Folic acid Deficiency (anaemia) in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

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