This article discusses the stages, causes, and symptoms of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.
It also suggests steps you could take to prevent this condition.
It takes a while to develop symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.
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Stages of Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency occurs in three stages.
Stage 1: the bodys iron stores begin to be depleted.
Your hemoglobin levels may still be normal, but serumferritinlevels are low.
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron.
You may feel run down and tired, although many people do not have any symptoms.
Stage 2: The body does not have enough iron to build new red blood cells.
Instead, the body uses zinc.
Stage 3: This stage is defined as iron deficiency anemia.
You may also experience headaches, dizziness, and heart palpitations.
Vegetarians and vegans may be more prone to iron deficiency, especially premenopausal females.
This can interfere with iron absorption.
Phytic acidis an antioxidant found in legumes, rice, and grains.
It can inhibit iron absorption, which may contribute to iron deficiency anemia.
Extra Iron Requirements
During pregnancy, you have greater blood volume.
A developing fetus also needs oxygen-rich RBCs for energy.
This is why you need more iron during pregnancy.
If you’re pregnant and not takingprenatal vitamins, you may fall short of this goal.
Actively growing bodies need extra iron to provide energy to developing cells.
That’s why it’s also important for babies, children, and teens to get plenty of iron.
Femaleathletesmay also need additional iron.
Blood Loss
Normal or heavy menstrual bleeding can lead to iron deficiency anemia.
For this reason, females generally need more iron than males.
These conditions include:
In these cases, symptoms tend to be more severe.
However, in healthy people who donate blood, RBC volume is usually corrected without noticeable symptoms.
Conditions Associated with Iron Deficiency
Some situations are associated with iron deficiency but don’t cause it.
They may progress quickly, or they may appear over weeks or months.
Symptoms can come on quickly with severe iron deficiency or rapid blood loss.
Symptoms of moderate iron deficiency may be slower to appear.
In some cases, iron deficiency leads to weight gain.
Scientists think this can be due to fatigue, which causes you to be less active.
Others suspect iron deficiency may slow your metabolism.
Either way, research shows treating iron deficiency anemia helps to promote weight loss.
Complications
Extreme iron deficiency anemia can causetachycardiaor rapid heart rate.
It can also cause low blood pressure.In children, extreme iron deficiency may contribute to learning and concentration problems.
Pregnant women who have an iron deficiency can have low energy.
They also have an increased risk of low birth weight babies and premature birth.
This test can only suggest iron deficiency anemia, because there are also other causes.
Your healthcare provider will attempt to identify the cause based on your medical history and exam.
Tests to see if you havegastrointestinal (GI) bleedingmay also be done.
During this procedure, a sample of bone marrow is taken using a hollow needle.
Physical Examination
For many conditions, a physical exam is the most important diagnostic tool.
These late symptoms include:
This is why a physical exam usually can’t identify an iron deficiency.
It’s very important to find the cause of iron deficiency anemia.
One of the first things many doctors do is look for occult blood loss.
This is hidden or unnoticed blood loss.The most common cause is bleeding from the colon.
The first step toward identifying this cause is to look for blood in a stool sample.
Colonic polyps, bleeding ulcers, and evengastrointestinal cancercan cause iron deficiency.
In this case, you may receive aninjectable form of iron.
Medical or Surgical Intervention
Some causes may require other types of intervention.
For example, a bleeding polyp in your colon may need to be removed.
A biopsy can test for cancer.
For some people, stomach bleeding may be related to the use ofblood thinners.
When this happens, you may need a lower dose or a different blood thinner.
Preventing Iron Deficiency
Healthy people can usually prevent iron deficiency withdiet.
You may need higher amounts if you have a condition that interferes with your iron levels.
Pregnant females should take prenatal vitamins, which usually contain iron.
Women who have heavy periods may also need to take iron supplements.
Even at recommended doses, iron supplements can causeconstipation.
They can also cause moreserious side effects, such as iron toxicity.
Iron supplements are especially dangerous for people who havehemochromatosis, a condition characterized byiron overload.
Adult iron supplements can be toxic for young children, so keep them in tightly capped, childproof bottles.
Summary
Iron deficiency is because of not having enough iron in the blood.
In severe cases, you may have heart palpitations and shortness of breath.
Iron deficiency can be diagnosed with blood tests, endoscopy, or a bone marrow biopsy.
Treatment involves correcting the underlying cause and replacing lost iron.
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