How to Prevent Anemias Associated With Bone Marrow Disease

Bone marrow disease often leads to different kinds of anemia that affect some or all types of blood cells. There are ways to prevent anemias associated with bone marrow disease, although it is inevitable with some conditions.

Instructions

Prevent Anemias Associated With Bone Marrow Disease

• 1

  Monitor your white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets to be sure that your body is producing significant amounts of each. Your doctor can check these levels with blood tests and may even want to look at the amount of each of the five kinds of white blood cells depending on the severity of your bone marrow problems.

• 2

  Find out the cause of any fluctuations in your blood cell levels. Your doctor should be able to trace the change to vitamin deficiency, excessive iron or another cause.

• 3

  Take steps to correct your blood cell levels as soon as possible. Treatments like vitamin supplements can take up to several weeks to counteract a decreasing blood cell count. Your doctor may wish to use more expensive and quicker methods like blood transfusions if anemia associated with your bone marrow disease will cause serious complications for your treatment.

• 4

  Limit your exposure to benzene products, paint fumes, cigarette smoke and herbicides. These gases can cause aplastic anemia in bone marrow disease patients.

• 5

  Calculate the risks of becoming anemic after radiation treatment for your bone marrow disease. Aplastic anemia is thought to occur after this type of treatment and some medical professionals use blood transfusions to prevent it. The chance of developing aplastic anemia is thought to increase with each subsequent radiation treatment.

• 6

  Consider getting a bone marrow transplant if your condition is life threatening. Your body will have to be treated with radiation to weaken your disease so that your immune system doesn't attack the new marrow. There are post-procedural medications that you must take in order to prevent anemias associated with having a transplant.