With awareness, acceptance, professional support, and healthy lifestyle changes, I improved my anemic condition and regained my energy and vitality.

This story does not include professional or health advice. It is for information, inspiration, and awareness purposes.

Reminding me of my doctor who detected my anemic conditionPhoto byHumberto ChávezonUnsplash

Decades ago, I had no clue what hemoglobin even meant, let alone how crucial it was for my body. It wasn’t until a hematologist discovered my low hemoglobin levels that I realized its significance. I was in my mid-20s, feeling constantly drained, unable to enjoy life or excel in my studies and part-time job.

But when the hematologist helped me return my hemoglobin levels to normal, it was like a switch flipped. Suddenly, I had energy to spare, the world seemed more vibrant, and I could fully engage in my work and studies. I noticed that this physical situation also affected my mental health.

The situation taught me a valuable lesson: anemia could be sneaky; our bodies have their language, and we need experts to interpret it for us. Caring for our health means understanding these signals and obtaining help when needed. Armed with this knowledge and experience, I’m now living my life to the fullest, grateful for the energy and vitality of good health and fitness.

In this post, I aim to introduce and highlight the importance of hemoglobin for energy and vitality, its relationship with anemia, and the lifestyle changes I made to overcome this condition.

What is hemoglobin, and how does it relate to anemia?

Hemoglobin, a protein, is like a special courier in our bodies, carried by red blood cells. Its job is crucial. It grabs oxygen from our lungs and delivers it to every nook and cranny, ensuring our cells, tissues, and organs get the oxygen they need to function properly.

When hemoglobin levels drop, trouble brews. The body cannot get enough oxygen, leading to a condition called anemia. Signs of anemia include pale skin, tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and a fast heartbeat.

According to this NIH book, “normal Hemoglobin-specific laboratory cut-offs will differ slightly, but in general, the normal ranges are as follows: 13.5 to 18.0 g/dL in men, 12.0 to 15.0 g/dL in women, and 11.0 to 16.0 g/dL in children.”

Anemia happens when our body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to ferry oxygen around. My doctor resembled the situation of having too few taxis in a bustling city. She said the oxygen could not reach where it was needed, and the traffic slowed down.

According to this NIH book,

“Anemia is a reduction in hemoglobin (Hb) or hematocrit (HCT) or RBC count. It presents an underlying condition and can be subdivided into macrocytic, microcytic, or normocytic. Patients with anemia typically present with vague symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, and tiredness. Severe anemia may present with syncope, shortness of breath, and reduced exercise tolerance.”

The book informs that:

“The etiology of anemia depends on whether the anemia is hyperproliferative or hyperproliferative. Hypoproliferative anemias are further divided by the mean corpuscular volume into microcytic anemia (MCV<80 fl), normocytic anemia (MCV 80–100 fl), and macrocytic anemia (MCV>100 fl).”

Anemia can be caused by various factors, such as a lack of important vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid, which are needed to make healthy red blood cells. Certain medications or health conditions can trigger anemia, like chronic stress or inflammatory diseases, which mess with our body’s ability to produce enough red blood cells.

During my conversation with the hematologist, I learned that anemia happens differently depending on what causes it. For example, in acute hemorrhagic anemia, when there’s sudden bleeding, the body refills the lost blood by diluting the remaining red blood cells with fluids. This can make it seem like hemoglobin and hematocrit levels are normal despite anemia.

I also learned that red blood cells are made in the bone marrow and sent into the bloodstream. About 1% of them are removed from circulation each day. It can lead to anemia if the body doesn’t make enough new ones or if too many are destroyed.

So, in a nutshell, keeping an eye on hemoglobin levels and understanding the causes of anemia with the help of a blood specialist is key to ensuring our bodies stay fueled with the oxygen they need to keep us going strong.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO),

“Anemia is a serious global public health problem that particularly affects young children and pregnant women. WHO estimates that 42% of children under five years of age and 40% of pregnant women worldwide are anemic.”

Anemia, a condition where our bodies lack enough red blood cells and hemoglobin, can sneak up on us quietly, especially in the beginning when there might not be obvious signs.

But as it progresses, anemia can throw a wrench into our health and well-being. We might always feel tired and weak and find it hard to think clearly.

To keep hemoglobin levels in check, there are some important things to consider. Ensure you are getting enough iron, B12, vitamin A, and folic acid, as deficiencies in these can lead to anemia.

Be mindful of medications that might cause bleeding, and try to avoid habits like smoking and heavy drinking. Even living at high altitudes can affect our hemoglobin levels.

Treating anemia means figuring out what’s causing it in the first place. This could involve taking supplements if you have nutritional deficiencies, eating foods rich in the nutrients you lack, managing any chronic conditions, and making lifestyle changes. The goal is to boost our hemoglobin levels back to where they should be so we can feel our best.

Glimpses from My Poignant Journey

Struggling with metabolic syndrome and autoimmune conditions at the time, I was unaware of the underlying anemia contributing to symptoms of chronic fatigue, weakness, and brain fog.

It was by sheer chance that I met a young, compassionate doctor who truly listened to my concerns and took the time to figure out what was happening. Surprisingly, even though I had seen more experienced doctors before, they didn’t understand what was happening to me.

This serendipitous encounter turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The younger doctor’s attentiveness led to a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, finally shedding light on what had been a mystery for so long. It shows that sometimes, it’s not about the years of experience but about the dedication and care of the professional treating us.

The young doctor decided to run many tests to get to the bottom of things. After looking at the results, she discovered my hemoglobin and Vitamin B12 levels were too low.

She also made sure to tell the specialist about my medical history, including how stress and chronic inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis were affecting me. It was like putting together puzzle pieces to understand what was happening inside my body.

So, she quickly sent me to a hematologist for more tests and treatment. This blood specialist didn’t just focus on fixing my numbers; they emphasized the importance of looking at my health as a whole picture.

Together, we tried different treatments like vitamin B12 injections and a range of supplements to ensure I got all the nutrients I needed. I also made changes to my lifestyle to stay healthy.

With support from other specialists, I gradually started feeling better and regained my energy and zest for life. It was a team effort that made all the difference.

Three decades ago, when I addressed my anemia and other health issues, I gained abundant physical and mental energy. In my fifties, I felt much younger than I did in my mid-twenties.

I hope that sharing my story can offer you insights into the importance of regular blood tests, seeking timely professional support, and embracing a holistic approach to health and well-being.

Here’s what I learned from the support of my hematologist and other health consultants during that time.

In this section, I outline the key points of three major factors that help me optimize my hemoglobin levels and defeat anemia with healthy lifestyle choices and professional support.

1 — Fixing nutritional deficiencies by consuming whole foods.

The most crucial nutritional deficiency that caused anemia for me was insufficient vitamin B12. Despite following a plant-based diet restricting animal products, my family doctor did not test my levels of this critical vitamin.

Only later, when a vigilant physician noticed my symptoms of fatigue and weakness, my deficiency was identified and fixed with an urgent action plan by a hematologist.

Apart from fatigue and weakness, Vitamin B12 deficiency shows symptoms like numbness, unusual sensations, inflamed tongue, depressive feelings, yellow skin, paresthesia, reasoning difficulty, lack of focus and attention, headache, lack of balance, mobility difficulties, muscle cramps, vision disturbances, and erectile dysfunction.

After initial support from a hematologist to fix immediate deficiency, I fixed my vitamin B12 deficiency by moving from a plant-based to an animal-based diet, which solved nutritional deficiencies for other conditions like Vitamin D, zinc, and choline deficiency.

2 — Lowering chronic stress by making lifestyle changes.

I did not have stress awareness in my younger years. I knew the body needed acute stress to perform but had no clue about the effects of chronic stress, which was the significant cause of anemia and other health conditions I covered previously.

Chronic stress is a long-term response to ongoing or persistent stressors. It occurs when the body’s stress response is activated for an extended period, leading to an imbalance in the body’s hormones and immune system.

In my case, excessive stress played a triggering and aggravating factor in my health conditions. Thus, it has an indirect effect by breaking the balance of the body, leading to nutritional deficiencies and chronic inflammation, which I will cover in the next section.

I approached stress management holistically by making substantial changes in my lifestyle. The most important one was fixing sleep deprivation, which helped me optimize elevated cortisol levels due to the overactive HPA axis and nervous system.

Personalizing my diet and exercise regimen was the next significant contributor to balancing my hormones and neurotransmitters and defeating chronic stress. In addition, eating my food in a specific window (intermittent fasting) and leveraging the power of thermogenesis made a sustainable impact on my stress profile.

Besides physical improvements, I also focussed on mental and emotional aspects. The best solutions were mindfulness practices such as regular meditation, expressive writing, self-talk, and working in a flow state.

Furthermore, I paid more attention to relationships and social connections to improve my emotional balance and mastery. Setting emotional boundaries was a noticeable contributor to lowering emotional stress.

3 — Addressing chronic inflammation holistically and stopping unnecessary medication

Chronic inflammation did not directly contribute to anemia, but it indirectly impacted due to the excessive use of anti-inflammatory and painkilling medication, which caused internal bleeding.

The relevant point to anemia was initially reducing NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and later cutting them totally and solving chronic inflammation issues holistically.

In a nutshell, NSAIDs work by inhibiting COX enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of prostaglandins. They do the job well but inhibit COX1, which is needed for protecting the stomach lining, regulating blood flow in the kidneys, and promoting blood clotting. Inhibition of this vital enzyme can cause internal bleeding, leading to anemia.

Previous items like fixing nutritional deficiencies, solving sleep issues, managing stress, and personalizing my workout regimen lowered inflammation to some extent.

However, the most significant impact was entering deep ketosis and making my body fat-adapted with time-restricted eating, such as one meal a day, occasional long-term fasting, a ketogenic diet, and a fast-mimicking lifestyle.

Another lifestyle change was stopping drinking coffee and replacing it with cold showers, significantly lowering inflammation. In addition, using dry saunas lowered the toxins in the body and improved inflammation markers.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Anemia happens when the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. This is caused by low hemoglobin levels, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen.

Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, and pale skin. Common causes of anemia include deficiencies in specific vitamins and minerals, loss of blood, chronic stress, other health conditions, and medications.

Despite various types of anemia, typical treatment approaches focus on addressing the underlying causes and optimizing hemoglobin levels through supplements, diet, and lifestyle changes.

I want to end my story with some takeaways from my lessons.

Familiarize yourself with the symptoms and signs of anemia and have your family physicians check your nutrient deficiencies and hemoglobin levels. Ask for a referral from the family doctor to a hematologist (blood specialist) for diagnosis, further evaluation, and treatment.

Address nutritional deficiencies with the help of an experienced dietitian or certified nutritionist who can provide you with a personalized diet. Consuming whole foods and refraining from junk food can help.

Manage stress with restorative sleep, customized workouts, rest, timely recovery, mindfulness practices, meditation, breathing exercises, and working in a flow state.

Address chronic inflammation using a holistic health approach. Understand the potential side effects of anti-inflammatory medication and seek help from your physician to lower their use.

Improve your mental health and relationships and develop meaningful social connections to lower stress and boost mood.

Insufficient hemoglobin can cause anemia, which is a severe health condition. However, it can be effectively managed with timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and healthy lifestyle changes. Let’s stay vigilant and optimistic.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

If you found these stories helpful, you may also check out my other articles on NewsBreak. As a postdoctoral researcher and executive consultant, I write about important life lessons based on my decades of research and experience in cognitive, metabolic, and mental health.