newsprompt.coIRON DEFICIENCY TREATMENT
Anemia occurs when you have a decreased level of hemoglobin in your red blood cells (RBCs). Hemoglobin is the protein in your RBCs that is responsible for carrying oxygen to your tissues.
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, and it occurs when your body doesn’t have enough of the mineral iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. When there isn’t enough iron in your blood stream, the rest of your body can’t get the amount of oxygen it needs.
While the condition may be common, many people don’t know they have iron deficiency anemia. It’s possible to experience the symptoms for years without ever knowing the cause.
In women of childbearing age, the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia is a loss of iron in the blood due to heavy menstruation or pregnancy. A poor diet or certain intestinal diseases that affect how the body absorbs iron can also cause iron deficiency anemia.
Physicians normally treat the condition with iron supplements or changes to diet.
Causes
Iron deficiency anemia occurs when your body doesn’t have enough iron to produce hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that gives blood its red color and enables the red blood cells to carry oxygenated blood throughout your body.
If you aren’t consuming enough iron, or if you’re losing too much iron, your body can’t produce enough hemoglobin, and iron deficiency anemia will eventually develop.
Causes of iron deficiency anemia include:
- Blood loss. Blood contains iron within red blood cells. So if you lose blood, you lose some iron. Women with heavy periods are at risk of iron deficiency anemia because they lose blood during menstruation. Slow, chronic blood loss within the body — such as from a peptic ulcer, a hiatal hernia, a colon polyp or colorectal carcinoma— can cause iron deficiency anemia. Gastrointestinal bleeding can result from regular use of some over-the-counter pain relievers, especially aspirin.
- A lack of iron in your diet. Your body regularly gets iron from the foods you eat. If you consume too little iron, over time your body can become iron deficient. Examples of iron-rich foods include meat, eggs, leafy green vegetables and iron-fortified foods. For proper growth and development, infants and children need iron from their diets, too.
- An inability to absorb iron. Iron from food is absorbed into your bloodstream in your small intestine. An intestinal disorder, such as celiac disease, which affects your intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients from digested food, can lead to iron deficiency anemia. If part of your small intestine has been bypassed or removed, that may affect your ability to absorb iron and other nutrients.
- Pregnancy. Without iron supplementation, iron deficiency anemia occurs in many pregnant women because their iron stores need to serve their own increased blood volume as well as be a source of hemoglobin for the growing fetus.
Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia
Iron deficiency anemia often takes a long time to develop. People may not know they have it until the symptoms are severe.
In some cases, an iron deficiency may improve with no intervention, as a person’s situation changes, such as after a woman has given birth.
However, if a person has any symptoms of iron deficiency anemia, they should talk to their health care provider.
A person with an iron deficiency can have some of the following symptoms:
- general weakness
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- extreme fatigue
- fast heartbeat
- easily broken and brittle nails
- paler than normal skin
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- headaches
- cold hands and feet
- soreness or inflammation of the tongue
- cravings for non-nutritive things, such as dirt, starch, or ice
- poor appetite, especially in children
Risk factors for developing iron deficiency anemia
Some groups of people have a higher risk of developing iron deficiency anemia.
Groups that are at risk include:
- Vegetarians: People, such as vegetarians, who eat a plant-based diet, may be lacking in iron. To combat this, they should be sure to include foods rich in iron, such as beans or fortified cereals. Vegetarians who also eat seafood should consider oysters or salmon, as a part of their regular diet.
- Women: Monthly menstrual cycles can put women and teenage girls at an increased risk of iron deficiency.
- Blood donors: People who give blood regularly increase their chances of developing an iron deficiency. This is because of the frequent blood loss.
- Infants and children: Premature babies and those with a low birth weight can be at risk of iron deficiencies. Also, infants who do not get enough iron through breast milk are at a greater risk. A physician may advise a breast-feeding woman to add iron-rich formula to their baby’s diet if their iron levels are low.Similarly, children going through growth spurts have an increased risk of iron deficiency. It is important for children to eat a varied and nutrient-rich diet to help avoid iron deficiencies.
