How to Treat Anemia in Chronic Renal Failure

Anemia is a condition in which the red blood cells are short to keep the body functioning well. It usually happens in kidney disease patients for kidneys are important to participate in the generation of red blood cells.

Why does anemia occur in Chronic Renal Failure?

Healthy kidneys can produce a hormone called erythropoietin(EPO), which can stimulate bone marrow to produce red blood cells. However, in Chronic Renal Failure, the impaired kidneys can not make enough EPO. As a result, the bone marrow can not produce enough red blood cells to meet the body's need.
In addition, the patients often suffer from nausea, vomiting and other digestive tract disease so they may not get sufficient iron and folic acid from food. These nutrients from food help the young red blood cells make hemoglobin, their main oxygen-carrying protein. Also, if the patients are on dialysis, they may lose blood during dialysis.
Anemia tends to worsen disease progresses so it is very necessary for the patients to control it by effective treatment.

How to treat anemia in Chronic Renal Failure?

Restore the impaired kidneys
As mentioned above, anemia in Chronic Renal Failure results from the impaired kidneys and inadequate renal function. Therefore, the treatment should primarily focus on restoring the impaired kidneys. Once the kidney structure is rebuilt and kidney tissues are regenerated, the kidneys will have an improvement in renal function and even recover normal function.
Iron
Iron is also needed to raise hematocrit to a normal level. If iron level is too low in blood, EPO will not help in relieving anemia. Usually,the patients are recommended to take iron pills or take intravenous injection of iron.
In addition, a few people may need vitamin B12 and floic acid supplements.
EPO
EPO is commonly used to treat anemia in Chronic Renal Failure. It is usually injected under the skin two or three times a week. FDA recommended that the patients treated with EPO should keep the hemoglobin level between 10 and 12 g/dl.
Anemia is knowns as “having 1.000 faces”. Without seeing your condition, it is hardly to give further personalized suggestions. But if you are interested, you can leave your conditions and question to kidneyask@hotmail.com