BLOOD BORNE DISEASES

Blood borne diseases are those diseases caused due to contact of blood of a diseased or infected person with your blood. The most common examples are HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and viral haemorrhagic fevers. Malaria and Degue etc are also caused due to infection of blood , but in these disease there is no direct contact of blood to blood, instead these are caused by biting of insects. Just by seeing blood ,one canot say, that it is infective or not, or whether it will cause disease on contact, it is always wise enough to consider every blood sample as infective & take precaution with it's contact in any ways & mean. Common routes through which blood borne diseases can infect you are : (i) blood transfusion (ii) common needle use (commonly seen in drug addicts), (iii) direct contact (iv) unprotected sexual act (v) common use of shaving blades & razors, (vi) from mother to the foetus during pregnancy & child birth.

ANEMIA: FUNCTION OF HAEMOGLOBIN

Anemia or Anaemia ( meaning "without blood") is defined as “a qualitative or quantitative deficiency of Haemoglobin, a protein found inside red blood cells(RBCs)”. For life, one needs three basic requirements: Oxygen, Nutrition and Excretion of waste products generated in the body. All the three functions are carried by Blood directly or indirectly. For the Oxygen part, the sole resposible element required , is Haemoglobin in the blood.

Haemoglobin carries Oxygen from Lungs and distribute it in the body where it is required, i.e.in the tissues. In anaemia, there is lack of Haemoglobin, so there is lack of oxygen carrying & distribution also, that creates a number of problems in the human body, because oxygen is a primary need for survival.Anemia goes undetected in many people, and symptoms can be small and vague. Most commonly, people with anemia report a feeling of weakness or fatigue in general or during exercise, general malaise sometimes poor concentration. People with more severe anemia often report Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) on exertion. Very severe anemia prompts the body to compensate by increasing cardiac output, leading to palpitations (hearing of one's own heart beat)and sweatiness, and to heart failure.Pallor (pale skin, mucosal linings and nail beds) is often a useful diagnostic sign in moderate or severe anemia, but it is not always apparent. Other useful signs are cheilosis (cracking at angle of mouth)and koilonychia (spoon shaped nails). Pica, eating of non-food based items such as dirt,chalk, paper, wax, grass, ice, and hair, may be a symptom of iron deficiency, although it occurs often in those who have normal levels of hemoglobin. Iron deficiency anaemia is the world's most common cause of anaemia.
Chronic anemia may result in behavioral disturbances in children as a direct result of impaired neurological development in infants, and reduced scholastic performance in children of school age.

Anaemia is the most common disorder of the blood. There are several kinds of anaemia, produced by a variety of underlying causes.The three main classes of anemia include excessive blood loss (acutely such as a hemorrhage or chronically through low-volume loss), excessive blood cell destruction (haemolysis) or deficient red blood cell production.

Treatments for anemia
There are many different treatments for anemia and the treatment depends on severity and the cause.
1.IRON: Iron deficiency from nutritional causes is rare in non-menstruating adults (men and post-menopausal women). The diagnosis of iron deficiency mandates a search for potential sources of loss such as gastrointestinal bleeding from ulcers or colon cancer or hookworm infection in developing countries. Mild to moderate iron deficiency anemia is treated by iron supplementation with ferrous sulfate or ferrous gluconate. Vitamin C may aid in the body's ability to absorb iron.
2.Vitamin supplements given orally (folic acid) or subcutaneously (vitamin B-12) will replace specific deficiencies.
3.Erythropoietin: It is a hormone secreted mainly by kidney,which promotes red cell formation. In anemia of chronic disease, anemia associated with chemotherapy, or anemia associated with renal disease, some clinicians prescribe recombinant erythropoietin, epoetin alfa, to stimulate red cell production.
4.Blood transfusions for anemia: In severe cases of anemia, or with ongoing blood loss, a blood transfusion may be necessary.