What to eat for aplastic anemia

Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
Updated on September 24, 2024
00:00
00:00

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.)

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
52sec home-news-image

Is aplastic anemia serious?

Whether aplastic anemia is severe depends on the specific circumstances of the aplastic anemia. Aplastic anemia can be divided into acute aplastic anemia and chronic aplastic anemia. Among them, acute aplastic anemia has a sudden onset, more severe clinical symptoms, and a higher mortality rate, so it is relatively more severe. Chronic aplastic anemia has a slower onset, and the degree of decrease in blood cells is relatively mild, also making it less severe. However, in cases of acute aplastic anemia, if intensive immunotherapy is administered, the effectiveness can reach 60%-70%, and it can be cured through hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
52sec home-news-image

How long can one live with aplastic anemia?

The lifespan of patients with aplastic anemia depends on the type and the effectiveness of the treatment. Aplastic anemia is classified into acute aplastic anemia and chronic aplastic anemia. In cases of acute aplastic anemia, cure is possible through intensified immunotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; however, without aggressive treatment, the survival period is relatively short, generally not exceeding one year. Chronic aplastic anemia, on the other hand, has a longer medical history, and patients can often live for ten to twenty years or more. However, throughout this period, ongoing transfusions of red blood cells and platelets are required to support treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
40sec home-news-image

Aplastic anemia is caused by how?

The etiology of aplastic anemia is unclear. A more classical theory is the seed, soil, and bug theory. The seed theory suggests that patients with this condition have reduced hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, leading to bone marrow failure. The soil theory refers to abnormal microenvironments in the bone marrow of patients, which leads to an abnormal growth environment for stem cells and consequently hematopoietic disturbances. The bug theory, which is commonly referred to in clinical settings as immune dysfunction, plays a major role in the etiology of this condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
46sec home-news-image

Is aplastic anemia leukemia?

Aplastic anemia is not leukemia, but there is a very small chance that aplastic anemia can transform into leukemia. Aplastic anemia is a bone marrow failure syndrome, and its clinical presentation often includes pancytopenia. It can be classified into acute aplastic anemia and chronic aplastic anemia. Leukemia often manifests with high white blood cell counts, anemia, and low platelet counts. It is caused by the infiltration of leukemia cells into the bone marrow, leading to the suppression of normal hematopoiesis, and is classified as a malignant hematological tumor. Leukemia can be divided into acute leukemia and chronic leukemia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
56sec home-news-image

Can aplastic anemia be cured?

Aplastic anemia is divided into acute aplastic anemia and chronic aplastic anemia. Acute aplastic anemia can be cured by intensive immunotherapy or syngeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, not all cases of acute aplastic anemia can be cured by these two treatments, with the cure rate being approximately 60%-70%. For chronic aplastic anemia, the main treatment currently is oral immunosuppressive therapy, which usually cannot cure the condition unless allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is performed. However, if patients with chronic aplastic anemia are on oral immunosuppressive therapy, they can maintain a relatively good condition and typically do not opt for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.