What to eat for aplastic anemia

Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
Updated on September 24, 2024
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Patients with aplastic anemia should eat light, easily digestible foods, and soft diet, avoiding too hard foods, and foods with spines or bones to prevent these foods from scratching the mucous membrane of the digestive tract and causing gastrointestinal bleeding. Additionally, patients with aplastic anemia must also take medications to control the progression of the disease, the related medications mainly include immunosuppressants, such as cyclosporine, as well as hematopoietic stimulants and traditional Chinese medicine formulations. Hematopoietic drugs include androgens, such as danazol and stanozolol, etc., and traditional Chinese medicines include compound alumite pills, rejuvenating blood tablets, etc. (Please use specific medications under the guidance of a doctor, and do not self-medicate.)

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Aplastic anemia is a disease.

Aplastic anemia is a bone marrow failure syndrome, which simply means that the bone marrow's function to produce blood cells is impaired, and it cannot produce the blood cells needed by a normal body. Clinically, it manifests as a series of symptoms caused by the reduction of all blood cells. A reduction in white blood cells can lead to infections in various systems, such as fever, cough, sputum, abdominal pain, diarrhea, frequent urination, urgent urination, and pain during urination. A reduction in red blood cells leads to anemia, which can cause symptoms such as dizziness, headache, fatigue, chest tightness, and palpitations. A decrease in platelets can lead to spontaneous bleeding, such as bleeding in the mouth, gums, and nose, and in severe cases, even cerebral hemorrhage.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Does aplastic anemia cause fever?

Aplastic anemia itself does not cause fever in patients; however, individuals with aplastic anemia experience a decrease in all blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. A significant reduction in white blood cells, such as in a state of neutropenia, can lower a patient's resistance to infections, which makes it easy for secondary infections to occur and thus induce fever. Furthermore, in cases of severe anemia, severe aplastic anemia can also lead to the occurrence of low-grade fever in patients. On the other hand, a reduction in platelets generally does not cause fever. Therefore, when a patient with aplastic anemia has a fever, it is important to determine the cause of the fever.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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The etiology of aplastic anemia

The etiology of aplastic anemia currently has no absolute cause, but the more supported theories concerning its etiology include the soil, pest, and seed theories. The soil theory refers to abnormalities in the microenvironment within the bone marrow, which causes an abnormal growth environment for hematopoietic stem cells, consequently limiting their growth. The seed theory indicates a decrease in the number and quality of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, leading to bone marrow regeneration failure. The pest theory refers to immunological factors, which play a significant role in aplastic anemia, suggesting a disorder in the patient's immune function that leads to bone marrow regeneration failure.

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Written by Peng Miao Yun
Internal Medicine
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The main diagnostic basis for aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia is caused by a variety of reasons leading to bone marrow hematopoietic failure. So, what is the main diagnostic basis for diagnosing aplastic anemia? It is primarily the bone marrow examination, which shows decreased or severely decreased proliferation at least in one site, such as active proliferation, significant reduction in megakaryocytes, and an increase in non-hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow's granular components. Additionally, there can be a decrease in total blood cells, white cells, red cells, etc., and a reduction in the absolute value of reticulocytes.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Aplastic anemia is classified into several types.

Aplastic anemia is divided into two types: acute aplastic anemia and chronic aplastic anemia. Acute aplastic anemia presents suddenly and is severe. Treatment requires intensified immunotherapy or suppression of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Chronic aplastic anemia develops slowly, has a longer history, and is relatively less severe. The treatment for chronic aplastic anemia mainly involves immunotherapy combined with therapy to promote hematopoiesis. In addition, regardless of the type, all cases of aplastic anemia require regular complete blood count checks and, when necessary, supportive treatment with red blood cell and platelet transfusions.