Iron deficiency, can commence from an irritating problem eventually leading to the harmful condition called anemia. Daily, iron in our bodies is lost in different ways, which is why it is important to avoid and cure this problem. Iron deficiency occurs when the body lacks mineral iron, the main ingredient for the production of hemoglobin in the body. Hemoglobin is a protein that helps red blood cells transport oxygen throughout our body. When the body lacks hemoglobin, our muscles, tissues, etc. tend to not function properly, which leads to anemia. Here are the main signs and symptoms that iron is lacking in your body
The most common tendency of iron deficiency is causing fatigue. This occurs when our body lacks the iron required to produce hemoglobin the protein present in the red blood cells whose function is to transport oxygen from the from our lungs to every organs, cell and tissue of our body. When our system contains less hemoglobin, this causes the blood to transport less oxygen to tissues and muscles resulting in fatigue and tiredness. In our daily life, being tired is considered normal, but it is harder to differentiate between normal tiredness and iron deficiency.
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Unlike normal tiredness, iron deficiency can cause the following symptoms
• Feeling weak
• Decrease in energy levels
• Decreasing concentration
• Being less functional
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The Hemoglobin present in the red blood cells provides that healthy, rosy color of skin. In Iron deficiency, the production of hemoglobin in our body decreases, thus the red blood cells cannot provide oxygen to the remaining parts of the body and this leads to pale skin or anemic spots on the skin notably cheeks. Irrespective of your skin color, if the color of the gums, nails, lips and inner flesh of the lower eye lids are comparatively less red than usual, it is caused by low iron.
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During any physical activity, having chest pain or shortness of breath is another sign of iron deficiency. The limited amount of hemoglobin in our red blood cells means that a limited amount of oxygen is provided to the rest of our body which has to recompense. It then has to produce more oxygen for the organs to be more productive. This leads to running short of breath.
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When our body lacks iron, our brain starts to experience migraines or we get headaches. When the required amount of oxygen is not being provided to the brain, it makes the blood vessels swell, the pressure formed causes headaches or migraines.
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People can experience dizziness or light headedness due to the absence of iron. The body becomes desperate for oxygen when there is a decrease of hemoglobin or when its level remains low. Dizziness happens when the brain is deprived of oxygen or even low blood pressure due to inadequate oxygenation between the blood vessels and the heart.
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Heart palpitations are infrequent heartbeat caused due to iron deficiency. This is due to a decrease in the level of hemoglobin which makes it more difficult for the heart to carry oxygen to the remaining parts of the body. This leads to irregular heartbeats or you may find your heart beating extremely fast. If not checked and allowed to continue, it could lead to heart failure. These are the later phases of iron deficiency where people suffer from different symptoms first before facing heart palpitations.
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The secondary functions of our body are the hair and skin. In iron deficiency, our body is supplied with a limited amount of oxygen and so it provides oxygen to the most important organs and tissues. Our skin and hair are then neglected and tend to become dry and fragile because of the deficit of the mineral iron. Ferritin is a protein responsible for storing and releasing iron to all the parts of the body. When there is a lack of it, such symptoms start occurring and manifesting as hair and skin damage. Low iron in the body leads to an increase in the rate of hair fall, especially for women not under menopause.
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Our mouth can give us a brief idea about our health condition. One of them even includes iron deficiency. When the tongue appears to be inflamed, discolored or swollen, these are symptoms of lacking in iron. Myoglobin is a protein that binds iron and oxygen together, which is formed in the muscle of our tongue. The tongue becomes sore, swollen and smooth when there is a decrease of myoglobin .Red cracks in the corners of out mouth and dry mouth are also caused due to iron deficiency.
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Brittle fingernails are one the rare symptoms of iron deficiency which shows up in the later stages of anemia. The condition is also known as Koilonychia. This is a nail disease in which the nails become extremely thin and lose their spherical shape. They tend to become flat and concave shaped. In the initial stages the nail starts to become weak and breaks easily. This causes a drop down in the middle of the nail and its edges get raised giving it a spherical appearance of a spoon.
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Decrease in the levels of iron in the blood also leads to decrease in dopamine.Dopamine is a chemical which is important for our body actions and movements but it can also cause restless legs syndrome. It is present in our brain and behaves like a message-carrier (neurotransmitter) between the nervous system, spinal cord and the brain, so that they can co-ordinate and sync bodily movements.
When the nerve cells or neutrons in our body get damaged, there is a decrease in the amount of dopamine in our brain which results in involuntarily movements or muscle fatigue. Towards the end of the day, dopamine levels fall naturally which causes restless legs syndrome and it gets more harmful during dusk and night.
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Hemolytic anemia is an anemia caused due to hemolysis. Intravascular hemolysis is a symptom caused due to breakdown of red blood cells in the blood stream and releasing of iron which is excreted out in urine. This can also occur in people who do intense physical training, and jogging which results in trauma to the little blood vessels in our feet. This is known as “March hematuria”.
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Iron deficiency can also cause nausea, abdominal pain and cramping. You may also experience blood in stool or dark stools as a sign your body is losing iron. However, when you take iron supplements, you may also experience the same symptoms as constipation and dark stools as the body cannot digest iron easily. Your doctor will advise you on a proper bodily management.
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Because of the condition of anemia that can be caused by a lack of vitamins like folic acid and B 12 including iron, this can lead to anxiety because of the related conditions like insomnia, heart palpitations and fatigue.
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When there is even a slight change in temperature, people who are suffering from anemia tend to lose their blood circulation. This causes constant cold feet and hands. Due to less oxygen being provided to the important organs of our system, the extremities end up with less oxygen leading them to be cold.
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You may experience unusual cravings like food or Pica which is a condition where the patient has a craving for edible items of no nutrition and vitamin value. They can include ice or dangerous items like dirt, dried paint or metals. It is a temporary disorder and its symptoms are mainly observed in children and women who are pregnant.
Frequent infections: When a body is iron deficit, it’s harder for the body to provide resistance against infection and it also becomes harder to become immune to infections and diseases once it occurs. Impairing of natural immunity and mediated cell immunity is largely associated with anemia, increasing the rate of getting infected.
If you feel that your iron levels are unstable you should immediately consult a doctor. Always consult your doctor whether to stop or start taking supplements for iron. They will give you advise on whether you have to take it, whether it’s healthy for you and how much you need.
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