Anemia is a type of blood dyscrasia complication in which the red blood cells count is low than the normal red blood cell count. In pernicious anemia, abnormal red blood cells are pre nt. Blood dyscrasia is defined as any specific disorder of the blood.

Pernicious anemia is due to a deficiency of vitamin B-12 and it is also known as vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. It is considered primary due to an autoimmune disorder that affects a person’s ability to synthesis a factor in the stomach called intrinsic factor.

Intrinsic factor is required to absorb vitamin B-12 I the small intestine. Vitamin B-12 is an essential nutrient that regulates the production of proper red blood cell  and their function in the body.

The type of anemia is known as “pernicious” because it was a serious disease in past This was due to the absence of adequate treatment and intervention.

Today, the disease is relatively easy to cure with vitamin B-12 supplement injections. But, if it is left uncured, vitamin B-12 deficiency or pernicious anemia it may lead to more complications.

 Symptoms of pernicious anemia :

The development of pernicious anemia is relatively slow. It is hard to identify the symptoms because your body has been become used to not feeling healthy.

Common symptoms of pernicious anemia are:

  • Fatigue and tired
  • Weakness and laziness
  • Headache and dizziness
  • Chest distress
  • Severe weight loss
  • Pale yellow skin

 Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia causes

Deficiency of vitamin B-12 in your diet

People suffering with pernicious anemia usually have a lower than normal red blood cells (RBCs) count. Vitamin B-12 plays a role in the synthesis and production of RBCs, so you should intake  an adequate amount of vitamin B-12 in your food:

Dietary sources of vitamin B12:

The following are the sources of vitamin B12:

  • Meat
  • Poultry
  • Shellfish
  • Eggs
  • Dairy products
  • Fortified soy, nut, and rice milk
  • Nutritional supplements

Depletion of intrinsic factors in the body

The intrinsic Factor is required by our body to absorb vitamin B12 from our diet. Stomach cells do synthesis of intrinsic factor and it is a protein.

When we consume food containing vitamin B12. It binds to intrinsic factors in the stomach when food reaches the stomach. After that vitamin B12 along with intrinsic factors gets absorbed into the last part of the small intestine and reach the bloodstream.

Intrinsic factor is synthesized by partial cells of the stomach due to autoimmune disorder these cells can be destroyed by our immune system.

If these cells are not available to synthesis intrinsic factors. Vitamin B12 will not be absorbed into the small intestine and it will cause pernicious anemia.

Treatment for pernicious anemia

The treatment of pernicious anemia consists of a two-steps process. Your health care professional will treat deficiency of vitamin B12

Treatment of pernicious anemia usually consists of these two steps.

  • Vitamin B-12 injections that will treat deficiency of vitamin B12
  • Then monitoring the blood level of vitamin B-12 over a time a.
  • And regulate the production of intrinsic factor

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