Symptoms of Lack of Iron in Blood – Anemia

Iron Deficiency Anemia: An Overview
Iron deficiency anemia is an inadequate red blood cell
count, or hemoglobin level, as a result of insufficient
iron. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that
carries oxygen to cells throughout the body. Iron is a
large component of hemoglobin, and normally extra iron is
stored in the body until is needed to produce new red blood
cells. Some people have little or no iron stored in their
bodies, but it can be balanced out by increasing iron in
the diet.  There are three general causes for inadequate
amounts of stored iron:

1. Not enough iron in the diet to replace the amount that
is lost each day: this can be mostly seen in children,
pregnant women, and in people on restricted diets.

2. A digestive system that is unable to absorb the iron
from the diet, either from a disorder or medication that
interferes with absorption.

3. The stored iron is depleted through an excessive loss of
blood, such as heavy menstrual bleeding or gastrointestinal
bleeding. Iron-deficiency anemia can be diagnosed through a
blood test, a test for blood in the stool, or a bone marrow
test.

Symptoms

Symptoms for iron deficiency anemia include:
- Pale skin and eyes
- Weakness or breathlessness
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Heart palpitations
- Headache

Risks

While iron-deficiency anemia is generally not life
threatening, it does weaken your body’s resistance to the
effects of illness or injury. It produces additional stress
on the heart and lungs, potentially leading to congestive
heart failure, heart attack, or stroke.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause of the anemia. In most
cases, eating a diet rich in iron or taking iron
supplements can clear up the insufficiencies. Foods such as
dried beans and peas, dried fruit and nuts, meats, green
leafy vegetables, whole grains, and poultry and eggs are
all good sources of iron. Also, increasing vitamin C intake
at the same time as high-iron foods helps with iron
absorption. Contrarily, high calcium foods can reduce iron
absorption and should be eaten separate from supplements
and iron-rich foods.

However, if the condition is caused by blood loss, the
source of the loss needs to be identified and corrected.
Iron supplements can have a few intestinal side effects,
such as nausea, constipation, heartburn, or diarrhea.
Following a physician’s guidelines for dosage can greatly
reduce these annoyances. Most anemias will clear up after a
few weeks of treatment.

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John Russell of IH Distribution, LLC brings you health,
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