“Nganginesifo se-anemia lapho ngisemusha,” kukhumbula uBeth. “Ngangihlale ngibhocobele, ngishesha ukukhathala, amathambo ami ebuhlungu futhi kunzima nokugxilisa ingqondo kokuthile. Udokotela wami wanginika amaphilisi e-iron. Ngawadla amaphilisi, ngathuthukisa nasendleleni engidla ngayo. Ngokushesha ngazizwa ngingcono.”

 Inkinga yempilo kaBeth ivamile kwabaningi. Ngokwe-World Health Organization (WHO), abantu abangu-2 000 000 000—okungabantu abangaba amaphesenti angu-30 emhlabeni—bane-anemia. Emazweni asathuthuka, abesifazane abakhulelwe abangaba amaphesenti angu-50 nezingane ezisenkulisa ezingaba amaphesenti angu-40 zine-anemia.

 I-anemia ingadala izinkinga ezinkulu. Ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu, ingabangela izinkinga zenhliziyo noma ngisho ukumelwa inhliziyo. Kwezinye izindawo i-anemia “iyimbangela yokufa kwamaphesenti angu-20 abo bonke abesifazane ababelethayo,” kusho i-WHO. Izingane ezizalwa omama abangenayo i-iron eyanele emzimbeni—okuwuhlobo lwesifo se-anemia oluvamile—zingase zizalwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi futhi zibe nesisindo esingaphansi kwesilindelekile. Izingane ezine-anemia azisheshi ukukhula futhi ziyashesha ukuthola izifo. Yize kunjalo, i-anemia ebangelwa ukungabi ne-iron eyanele emzimbeni ingagwemeka noma yelapheke. a

Iyini I-anemia?

 I-anemia iyisifo. Uma sikubeka kalula, abantu abane-anemia basuke bengenawo ama-cell abomvu egazi anele. Izizathu zalokhu ziyahlukahluka. Eqinisweni, ososayensi bathole izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-400 ze-anemia! Lesi sifo singaba esesikhashana noma sibe ngumahlala-khona, singabekezeleleka noma sibe sibi kakhulu.

Yini Ebangela I-an­emia?

 Zintathu izinto eziyinhloko ezibangela i-anemia:

•   Ukopha kunciphisa inani lama-cell abomvu egazi emzimbeni.

•   Umzimba awukwazi ukukhiqiza ama-cell abomvu anele egazi.

•   Umzimba ucekela phansi ama-cell abomvu egazi.

 I-anemia ebangelwa ukuntuleka kwe-iron yiyo eyande kunazo zonke izinhlobo ze-anemia emhlabeni. Lapho umzimba ungenayo i-iron eyanele, awukwazi ukukhiqiza i-hemoglobin eyanele, okuwuketshezi oluphakathi kuma-cell abomvu egazi oluwasiza athwale umoya-mpilo.

Ziyini Izimpawu Ze-anemia Ebangelwa Ukuntuleka Kwe-iron?

 Ekuqaleni, i-anemia ingase ingabi namandla noma ngisho ingabonakali nhlobo. Nakuba izimpawu zayo zingahlukahluka, izimpawu ze-anemia ebangelwa ukuntuleka kwe-iron zihlanganisa lokhu okulandelayo:

•   Ukuzizwa ukhandlekile

•   Ukubanda kwezandla nezinyawo

•   Ukuzizwa ubuthaka

•   Isikhumba esiphaphathekile

•   Ukuphathwa ikhanda nenzululwane

•   Ubuhlungu besifuba, ukushaya ngamandla kwenhliziyo, iphika

•   Ukuphuka kalula kwezinzipho

•   Ukungakuthandi ukudla, ikakhulukazi izinsana nezingane

•   Ukuhalela ukudla iqhwa, isitashi, noma inhlabathi namatshe

Obani Abasengozini?

 Abesifazane basengozini yokuba ne-anemia ebangelwa ukuntuleka kwe-iron ngenxa yokopha lapho beya esikhathini. Abesifazane abakhulelwe nabo basengozini uma bengayitholi i-folic acid, i-Vitamin B.

 Izinsana ezizalwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi noma ezizalwa zinesisindo esiphansi kunesilindelekile ezingayitholi i-iron eyanele obisini lwebele noma oluthengwayo.

 Izingane ezingadli ukudla okuhlukahlukene okunempilo.

 Abantu abangayidli inyama abadla ukudla okungenayo i-iron eyanele

 Abantu abanezifo ezingamahlalakhona, njengalabo abanezinkinga zegazi, umdlavuza, ukungasebenzi kwezinso, izilonda ezophayo emathunjini, noma ezinye izifo.

Indlela Yokwelapha I-anemia

 Akuyona yonke i-anemia engagwemeka noma yelapheke. Kodwa izinhlobo zayo ezibangelwa ukuntuleka kwe-iron noma amavithamini ngokuvamile zingagwemeka noma zelapheke ngokudla ukudla okunempilo okunalezi zinto ezilandelayo:

 I-iron. Itholakala enyameni, kubhontshisi, udali nemifino eluhlaza. b Kungasiza nokupheka ngamabhodwe ensimbi ngoba ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi kunganyusa izinga le-iron ekudleni.

 I-Vitamin B. Itholakala ezithelweni, imifino eluhlaza, uphizi oluhlaza, ubhontshisi (kidney beans), ushizi, amaqanda, inhlanzi, ama-alimondi namakinati. Itholakala nakokusanhlamvu okucebe kakhulu ngamavithamini, njengesinkwa, idokwe, i-pasta nelayisi.

 I-Vitamin B-12. Itholakala enyameni, ekudleni okunobisi, idokwe elinezithako ezinempilo, nokudla okunohlobo lukabhontshisi olubizwa nge-soy.

 I-Vitamin C. Itholakala ezithelweni ezinamanzi ezimuncu, ama-pepper, u-broccoli, utamatisi, ama-melon nama-strawberry. Ukudla okune-vitamin C kusiza umzimba wakho ukuba ukwazi ukumunca i-iron.

 Ukudla kuyahlukahluka kuye ngokwezindawo. Ngakho thola ukuthi ikuphi ukudla ngasendaweni yakini okunomsoco okunjengalokhu okubalwe ngenhla. Lokhu kubalulekile uma ungowesifazane, ikakhulukazi uma ukhulelwe noma uhlela ukukhulelwa. Uma uyinakekela impilo yakho, unciphisa amathuba okuzala ingane ene-anemia. c