What is iron deficiency?
Iron deficiency is when there is not enough iron in the body. Iron is an essential mineral needed for the production of red blood cells, which are important for a healthy immune system, mental function, muscle strength and energy. Its main role is in red blood cells, where it helps produce a protein called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body so they can function properly.
The body cannot make iron, so it must be obtained from food. If you don't eat as much iron as you consume each day, you develop an iron deficiency.
It is very important to have enough iron in the body. If you have low iron, you can become anemic. If you have too much iron, it can be toxic. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world.
Stages of iron deficiency
Iron deficiency occurs in three stages.
Stage 1: The body's iron stores begin to deplete. Your hemoglobin may still be normal, but your serum ferritin is low. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron. You may feel exhausted and tired, although many people have no symptoms.
Stage 2: The body does not have enough iron to make new red blood cells. A blood test may still show a normal hemoglobin level, but the transferrin saturation level (a measure of iron storage in the body) is low. At this stage, you feel tired and dizzy, although you may not have any symptoms.
Stage 3: This stage is defined as iron deficiency anemia. At this stage, the hemoglobin level falls below the norm. 12 to 15 g/dl for women and 14 to 16.5 g/dl for men. During this stage, you will likely feel tired, weak and may experience shortness of breath when climbing stairs or exercising. You may also experience headaches, dizziness, and palpitations.
What are the symptoms of iron deficiency?
If you have an iron deficiency, you may not realize it because you may just feel tired and exhausted. Iron deficiency can cause many symptoms. They may appear over a period of months or may progress rapidly and occur over a period of weeks. Symptoms can appear quickly with severe iron deficiency or rapid blood loss. Symptoms of moderate iron deficiency may appear more slowly iron deficiency symptoms include lethargy, weakness, shortness of breath, poor memory, difficulty concentrating, poor performance at school or work, difficulty with aerobic exercise, and decreased libido. Severe iron deficiency can cause tachycardia, or a fast heartbeat. It can also lower blood pressure.
Pregnant women with iron deficiency may have low energy. They also have an increased risk of having low birth weight babies and an increased risk of preterm birth.
What causes iron deficiency?
Iron deficiency occurs when the body's iron stores are too low. It interferes with the body's ability to produce hemoglobin, the component of red blood cells that allows them to carry oxygen. Severe, untreated, or long-term iron deficiency changes the quantity, size, and function of red blood cells (RBCs), a condition known as iron deficiency anemia.
There are several main causes of iron deficiency.
Eating foods with insufficient iron. Then your body can store iron, but cannot produce it. Iron must be obtained from food. Vegetarians and vegans may be more prone to iron deficiency, especially premenopausal women. This is because non-heme iron, which is found in plants, is not absorbed as well as heme iron, which is found in meat, poultry and fish. Weight loss surgery can also cause iron deficiency. For example, gastric bypass often involves removing parts of the stomach or intestines. This can interfere with iron absorption.
Increased need for iron. Some people need more iron than others. People who need iron the most are children, teenagers (especially girls), menstruating women, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women. Blood volume is higher during pregnancy. The developing fetus also needs oxygen-rich red blood cells for energy. This is why more iron is needed during pregnancy.
In the first year, babies need breast milk or iron-fortified formula. Babies who have cow's milk instead are more likely to be iron deficient. Actively growing bodies need extra iron to provide energy to developing cells. That's why it's also important for babies, children and teenagers to get plenty of iron. Women who exercise may also need extra iron.
Impaired absorption of iron. Iron in food is absorbed through the stomach and intestines. Some medical conditions affect iron absorption, such as celiac disease. If you've had stomach surgery, this can also affect how much iron you can absorb. Some foods make it difficult to absorb iron. For example, phytic acid is an antioxidant found in legumes, rice and grains. It can inhibit iron absorption, which can contribute to iron deficiency.
Blood loss. If you're losing blood from any kind of bleeding, that means you're also losing iron. The main causes of excessive blood loss are heavy periods and bleeding from the stomach or intestines, which may be related to the use of drugs such as aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs, ulcers, intestinal polyps or cancer. Other causes may include giving blood too regularly, blood loss from surgery, certain intestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, and infection with parasites such as hookworms. Surgery, childbirth, or injury can also cause significant blood loss. After donating blood, the number of red blood cells may decrease for several days. However, in healthy people who donate blood, red blood cell volume usually adjusts without noticeable symptoms.
Conditions associated with iron deficiency
Some situations are associated with iron deficiency but do not cause it. For example, underweight. Calories from any source do not affect iron absorption. However, people who are underweight are often iron deficient because they do not have enough iron in their diet.
In case of kidney disease. Erythropoietin is a hormone produced by the kidneys. It plays an important role in stimulating the production of red blood cells. If you have kidney disease, you may need to replace erythropoietin to stimulate red blood cell production. Dialysis does not correct this hormone problem.
Some cancers, especially those involving white blood cells, are associated with low red blood cell counts. For example, leukemia and lymphoma can disrupt the production of red blood cells. Most cancer treatments also suppress the production of red blood cells. A lack of red blood cells doesn't reduce iron levels, but it does prevent iron from doing what it's supposed to do in the body.
When should you see a doctor?
If you think you may have low iron levels, see your doctor. It is important to find out why you are iron deficient and what you can do about it. Before taking any iron supplements, be sure to consult your doctor for advice on the right type and dosage of iron for your needs.
Consult a doctor if you often or constantly feel very tired and weak, suffer from shortness of breath, your heart beats fast and irregularly, you feel dizzy or dizzy, you have a headache, cold hands and feet, a painful or inflamed tongue, brittle nails, you complain of a poor appetite, you are often irritable.
How is iron deficiency diagnosed?
Your doctor will talk to you and examine you to confirm if you have an iron deficiency. The only sure way to determine if you are iron deficient is to have a blood test to check your iron levels and check for anemia. Other tests may also be needed to find out what is causing the iron deficiency.
Diagnosis of iron deficiency. A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test that counts your platelets and red and white blood cells. This test can only show iron deficiency anemia because there are other causes of anemia. Your doctor will try to determine the cause based on your medical history and physical examination techniques.
Your doctor may order tests to detect occult gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. The most common cause is bleeding from the colon.
The first step in determining this cause is to look for blood in the stool sample. If there is no blood, your doctor may still order a colonoscopy or endoscopy, especially if there is no other obvious cause. During this test, a healthcare provider looks inside your GI system with a camera attached to a long, flexible tube.
Colon polyps, bleeding ulcers, and even gastrointestinal cancer can all be causes of iron deficiency. Some other conditions your doctor may consider are Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that can cause ulcers, celiac disease, and autoimmune gastritis.
If your doctor doesn't suspect GI blood loss, you may need to start iron supplements with close monitoring. If you don't get better after a few weeks or your doctor still doesn't know what's causing the anemia, iron tests may be needed.
These blood tests usually measure serum levels of ferritin, iron, and transferrin. If the results are inconclusive, your doctor may order other blood tests. If the cause still cannot be found, bone marrow biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis. During this procedure, a sample of bone marrow is taken using a hollow needle.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/iron-deficiency-signs-and-symptoms-2507719
