Iron Deficiency Anemia

Overview

Human Body needs Red Blood Cells (RBCs) to Carry oxygen from lung to all the cells for tissue vitality.

The main active part in RBCs is the Haemoglobin which needs Iron (Fe) essentially for its formation.

Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells due to insufficient Iron.

As a result, iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired and short of breath.

Person can usually correct iron deficiency anemia with iron supplementation.

Sometimes additional tests or treatments for iron deficiency anemia are necessary, especially if your doctor suspects that you're bleeding internally.

Symptoms

Without neither periodic check nor complete blood count testing, Mild cases of Iron deficiency anemia goes unnoticed, But as the body becomes more deficient in iron and anemia worsens, the signs and symptoms will start to be recognized, Iron deficiency anemia signs and symptoms may include:

Extreme fatigue
Weakness
Pale skin
Chest pain, fast heartbeat or shortness of breath
Headache, dizziness or lightheadedness
Cold hands and feet
Inflammation or soreness of your tongue
Brittle nails
Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or starch
Poor appetite, especially in infants and children

Causes

Iron deficiency anemia occurs when your body doesn't have enough iron to produce hemoglobin.

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 lose blood during menstruation.
- Some medical conditions like a peptic ulcer, a hiatal hernia, a colon polyp or colorectal cancer.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding can result from regular use of some over-the-counter pain relievers, especially aspirin.
lack of iron in diet
- In case of too little iron intake, 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.
Iron malabsorption
- 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 surgically, 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.

Risk Factors

These groups of people may have an increased risk of iron deficiency anemia:

Women
Because women lose blood during menstruation, women in general are at greater risk of iron deficiency anemia.
Infants and children
Infants especially those who were low birth weight or born prematurely, who do not get enough iron from breast milk or formula may be at risk of iron deficiency, Children need extra iron during growth spurts so if your child is not eating a healthy, he may be at risk of anemia.
Vegetarians
People who don't eat meat may have a greater risk of iron deficiency anemia if they don't eat other iron-rich foods.
Frequent blood donors
People who routinely donate blood may have an increased risk of iron deficiency anemia since blood donation can deplete iron stores, so If you're told that you can't donate blood because of low hemoglobin, ask your doctor whether you should be concerned or no.

Complications

Untreated iron deficiency anemia can become severe and lead to health problems, including the following:

Heart problems
Iron deficiency anemia may lead to a rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Problems during pregnancy
In pregnant women, severe iron deficiency anemia has been linked to premature births and low birth weight babies.
Growth problems
In infants and children, severe iron deficiency can lead to anemia as well as delayed growth and development, With an increased susceptibility to infections.

Prevention and Treatment

You can reduce your risk of iron deficiency anemia by choosing iron-rich foods.

Choose iron-rich foods
Foods rich in iron include
- Red meat, pork and poultry.
- Seafood.
- Beans.
- Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach.
- Dried fruit, such as raisins and apricots.
- Iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas.
- Peas.
Your body absorbs more iron from meat than it does from other sources.
Choose foods containing vitamin C to enhance iron absorption
You can enhance your body's absorption of iron by drinking citrus juices or eating other foods rich in vitamin C at the same time that you eat high-iron foods, Vitamin C in citrus juices, such as orange juice, helps your body to better absorb dietary iron, Vitamin C is also found in:
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Leafy greens
- Melons
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Tangerines
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
Intake Dietary supplements
The most preferred dietary supplements that supports treatment or prevention of Iron deficiency anemia are those containing:
- Adequate amount of Iron.
- Source of vitamin C to enhance iron absorption.
- Source of Transferrin like Lactoferrin as the main protein responsible for Iron absorption through the small intestine.

Famferrin & Vavra Iron provide your body with the iron and vitamins necessary to prevent anemia.