Iron is important to make hemoglobin, a protein in the blood that carries oxygen throughout the body. Lacking hemoglobin can lead to anemia, an iron deficiency that results in the muscles and tissues not being able to work properly. This is commonly caused by excessive blood loss, inadequate iron intake, and inflammatory bowel disease.
People with iron deficiency sometimes experience no symptoms. However, others suffer from them and even affect their quality of life. To figure out if you have this condition, here are some signs to watch out for:
Paleness
Hemoglobin gives blood its red color. This is why people with moderate or severe cases of iron deficiency usually look pale. This paleness can appear throughout the body or be limited only to a single area, like the nails, inside the lips or lower eyelids, face, or gums.
Extreme Fatigue
Not having enough iron in the blood means less oxygen reaches the muscles and tissues, leading to a lack of energy. Since the heart has to work harder to move oxygen-rich blood around the body, those with iron deficiency often feel tired, even with sufficient sleep. This low energy can be experienced along with crankiness, weakness, or difficulty concentrating.
Heart Palpitations
Another symptom of iron deficiency is heart palpitations. Due to low levels of hemoglobin, the heart has to work harder to supply oxygen and transport it around the body. This can cause the heart to beat abnormally fast. Worse, it can lead to a heart murmur, enlarged heart, or even heart failure.
Dry Hair and Skin
Various factors cause dry and damaged skin, and one of them is iron deficiency. This is because healthy skin and hair require sufficient levels of hemoglobin in the blood. When one has iron deficiency, the oxygen available to cells may be reduced, leading to dry, weak skin and hair. For this reason, many people with iron deficiency experience hair fall.
Shortness of Breath
Low hemoglobin levels result in low oxygen levels in the body. This means the muscles won’t get enough oxygen to do even simple regular activities. The body responds by increasing its breathing rate to compensate for a lack of oxygen. This is why people with iron deficiency often experience shortness of breath, even when doing daily activities like climbing stairs or walking.
Brittle Fingernails
Koilonychia, a condition that causes brittle or spoon-shaped fingernails, is another symptom of iron deficiency. The first sign to watch out for is brittle nails that chip easily. In severe cases, the nails become spoon-shaped. This means the middle of the nails dip, which gives them a rounded, spoon-like appearance.
Headaches
People with iron deficiency often experience frequent and recurrent lightheadedness, dizziness, or headaches. Since low hemoglobin levels limit oxygen delivery to the brain, blood vessels in the brain can swell. This leads to chronic headaches that show a sign of iron deficiency.
Conclusion
Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency will vary, depending on a person’s age, health status, and severity of anemia. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, a good diet with enough iron can treat your condition. Besides eating food high in iron, you can help your body absorb the mineral it needs by taking the right health supplements.
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