Telling if you're anaemic

[Button1]

Hi everyone

Does anyone know if looking inside your eyelids to see how red they are is a way of telling you're anaemic or if its an old wives tale? I'm scared if having bowel cancer and anaemia is one of the signs and the insides of my eyelids look a bit paler I think.


I know it's not something the doctor checks...


Sorry, I'm having a really bad day. It's my birthday tomorrow and I know I'm going to spend it in tears. Another day lost to HA...

[emlica]

I don't think it's an old wives' tale exactly but also probably not the most reliable indicator, especially if you don't have anything to compare them with. I freaked myself out a bit looking inside my eyelids to see if they looked pale as the bit nearest your eye can be a bit pale. I think it's the front bit, as it were, that's meant to be pinky-red. Can you compare yours to a family member or something? But really, a blood test is the best way to tell if you're anaemic. And, incidentally, anaemia can be caused by a huge range of things and not just bowel cancer!!

[Button1]

Thanks for replying. I know it's not just caused by bowel cancer but I am so terrified of anything that could be related.

I had low iron in January which was attributed to heavy periods and having given birth a few months before. If it happens again I'm sure they'll do lots of investigation and find something : (

---------- Post added at 16:09 ---------- Previous post was at 15:44 ----------

I've had such a weird tummy this week. I'm so scared I'm ill...I'm terrified of seeing the doctor on Saturday. I can't tell what's in my mind or whether there is something really wrong...

[AuntieMoosie]

Looking under your eye lids is certainly not the best way to find out if you're anaemic.

The insides of my lower eye lids are pretty pale compared to other peoples, more orange than red, but I'm not iron anaemic.

I would wait and see what your doctor says tomorrow hun, that really is the best way of dealing with this.

I really hope that your doctor can put your mind at rest so that you can enjoy your special day hun :hugs:

[Button1]

Thanks auntiemoosie, again! I'm not at the doctors until Saturday sadly. I can hear my husband downstairs wrapping presents, he can't understand why I'm not so excited.

Everything feels like its coming to a point where I find out that I actually do have cancer. I don't know how I'll have the courage to go through with the doctors appointment : (

[AuntieMoosie]

Please, please do go through with your doctors appointment, they are the one's who can put your mind at rest hun, we can support you, comfort you and listen to you on here, but we aren't doctors so we're unable to really take that worry from you.

Hun, firstly, it would be highly unlikely that you have cancer, and secondly your doctor wouldn't be able to tell you just like that without further investigations, so you're not going to go there on Saturday and hear that you've got cancer, it just doesn't work like that hun :)

What you're doing is playing out all these really scary scenarios in you head, I know, because I do it myself, I'm getting better though. I know and understand how worried you are right now, but this is Auntie Moosie's prescription for you...........

Tomorrow you're not going to allow this scary stuff to enter your head!!

It's your Birthday and that's a really special day and it's going to be special and fun for you and your family.

Bless him, your hubby is already wrapping your prezzies, he wants you to have a lovely day, think how happy it will make him, and you, to have a great day.

Push Saturday out of your mind, you have Friday, your Birthday, to come first and you're going to enjoy it :D :bighug1: