Testing for Anemia

Tok

Hi,

Does anyone know where I can get a test for anemia done in Dublin?

Thanks

DancingDaisy

To the best of my knowledge it's best to go to your doctor.

I think all that is done is a blood test (when I had anemia that was how they tested). But you will need to go back to get the results after approx. two weeks.

Aspiration

I'm with DancingDaisy with this. It was my GP who tested me for anemia. It's just a simple blood test.

Go to your GP - they'd be the best to advise.

Kazobel

I concur, the best person to go to is your GP but if you think you're Anemic just change your diet a bit. You need Heme Iron, found in animal sources and is easily available and Non-heme iron found in vegetable sources but is harder to absorbe (if you're anemic chances are you're not getting enough of this)

Foods that contain Heme Iron

Clams
Pork Liver (yukky )
Oysters
Chicken Liver (yukky yukky! )
Mussels
Beef Liver
Beef
Shrimp
Sardines (Sardines are considered a "super food" i.e very few trans fats and a full compliment of amino acids and B vitamines, eat them once a day for lunch and you'll feel alot better)
Turkey


Food containing Non-Heme Iron

Enriched breakfast cereals (Secial K, Cornflakes)
Cooked beans and lentils
Pumpkin seeds
Blackstrap Molasses
Canned beans
Baked potato with skin (New Potatoes are the best for this)
pasta
asparagus

Just in case pregnant women, DON'T eat liver, it has a high Vitamin A content and that can be harmful to a developing baby. Absorbing Non-heme iron can be improved if it's taken in the same meal as a heme iron source and some foods increase the absorption whereas some inhibit it.

Enhancers
Meat/fish/poultry
Fruits: Orange, Orange Juice, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapefruit etc
Vegetables: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, tomato, tomato juice, potato, green & red peppers (any red fruit or veg contains high levels of iron, they're red for the same reason our blood is red when iron oxidizes it goes red (Rust) and green veg contains high levels of copper which aid in the absorption of Iron)
White wine (ironically)

Inhibitors
Red Wine, Coffee & Tea
Vegetables: Spinach, chard, beet greens, rhubarb and sweet potato
Whole grains and bran
Soy products

Hope that helps a bit

Redpunto

Get yourself some iron tablets in the chemist to keep you going, even if youre not anaemic it wont do you any harm and if you are, then the tablets should make you start feeling better pretty quickly

ZYX

Ignore the previous 2 posts. If you are anaemic you need to be diagnosed. Not all anaemia is iron deficiency. More importantly if your symptoms are not anaemia you need a diagnosis. Go to any GP

Kazobel

ZYX wrote: »

Ignore the previous 2 posts. If you are anaemic you need to be diagnosed. Not all anaemia is iron deficiency. More importantly if your symptoms are not anaemia you need a diagnosis. Go to any GP

Why ignore us? Myself and Redpunto were just trying to be helpful and didn't give bad advice and I actually said go to his GP first before giving any other advice. My advice only gave suggestions on a dietary level, I metioned no chemicals at all and diagnosed no one but what I said is just common sense.

Nuggles

Kazobel wrote: »

Why ignore us? Myself and Redpunto were just trying to be helpful and didn't give bad advice and I actually said go to his GP first before giving any other advice. My advice only gave suggestions on a dietary level, I metioned no chemicals at all and diagnosed no one but what I said is just common sense.

Obviously meant that he/she should get diagnosed first and not just use the guidelines you gave without actually knowing he/she's anaemic......

Kazobel

Nuggles wrote: »

Obviously meant that he/she should get diagnosed first and not just use the guidelines you gave without actually knowing he/she's anaemic......

But the guidlines I gave weren't the be all and end all, it was just advice, I still said go see a GP first

Victor

OP, go to doctor, I imagine theres a few fairly straight-forward tests.

Kazobel wrote: »

but if you think you're Anemic just change your diet a bit.

Kazobel, I'm sorry, but that looks like medical advice.

I don't know the ins and outs of different types of anemia, but I suspect sick-cell anemia or say carbon-monoxide posioning isn't magicly cured with a diet-only repsonse.

Kazobel

Victor wrote: »

OP, go to doctor, I imagine theres a few fairly straight-forward tests.Kazobel, I'm sorry, but that looks like medical advice.

I don't know the ins and outs of different types of anemia, but I suspect sick-cell anemia or say carbon-monoxide posioning isn't magicly cured with a diet-only repsonse.

Yeah because my log-on is Kazobel MD, ffs don't be so stupid :rolleyes:

ZYX

Kazobel wrote: »

I concur, the best person to go to is your GP but if you think you're Anemic just change your diet a bit.

Kazobel, I see your point but you said
"but if you think you're Anemic just change your diet a bit"
which I took to mean that while the best person to go to was a GP, there really was no need if you think you are anaemic and changing diet would be enough.