What is Iron Deficiency?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), 6 years of experience
What is the meaning of Iron Deficiency?
Iron deficiency is a condition in which the human body doesn’t have enough iron minerals. Iron is a type of mineral that is very important for the human body. A deficiency of iron in the body increases the chances of developing different types of diseases. Apart from this, iron deficiency also results in lesser production of red blood cells (RBCs) in the body.
Iron is essential to increase the levels of hemoglobin in the body. Hemoglobin is a protein in the RBCs that works to deliver oxygen throughout the body. For this reason, a lack of iron can cause severe damage to the body. Iron deficiency may also occur due to improper diet. Apart from this, women can develop iron deficiency during pregnancy. Iron deficiency may also occur due to excessive bleeding during menstruation.
Some common symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, hair fall, breaking of nails, etc.
Let us tell you in detail about iron deficiency in this article.
- What are the causes of Iron Deficiency?
- What are the risk factors of Iron Deficiency?
- What are the symptoms of Iron Deficiency?
- How to diagnose Iron Deficiency?
- What are the treatments for Iron Deficiency?
- What are the complications of Iron Deficiency?
- How to Prevent Iron Deficiency?
What are the causes of Iron Deficiency?
Iron deficiency can occur due to the following reasons:
Inadequate intake of iron
- Iron deficiency is caused by consuming less iron-rich foods in the diet for an extended period of time.
- Foods like eggs, meat, and green leafy vegetables are high in iron content.
- Iron is important during growth and development. Therefore, young children and pregnant women require iron-rich foods in their diet.
Blood loss during menstruation and pregnancy:
- Blood loss during childbirth and excessive bleeding during menstruation can cause iron deficiency in women of childbearing age.
( Know more about- Abnormal bleeding during delivery )
Inability to absorb iron:
- Certain diseases or surgeries can affect the absorption of iron by the body.
- Celiac disease (immune system reaction to eating gluten causing damage to the lining of the small intestine) can decrease iron absorption by the body.
- Intestinal surgery like gastric bypass surgery (a type of weight loss surgery) can limit iron absorption by the body.
( Know more about- What is Crohn’s Disease? Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments )
Internal bleeding
- Certain medical disorders may cause internal bleeding, which may cause iron deficiency.
- The presence of ulcers in the stomach, polyps (abnormal growth of tissue) in the colon (large intestine), or cancer of the colon can cause internal bleeding.
- Certain pain-relieving medications like aspirin can also cause bleeding in the stomach.
Endometriosis
- A woman having endometriosis (the tissue that normally lines the female uterus grows outside the uterus) may suffer from heavy loss of blood leading to iron deficiency.
( Know more about- What are Uterine Fibroids? Causes, Symptoms, Treatment )
What are the risk factors of Iron Deficiency?
The following are at an increased risk of developing iron deficiency:
- Women of childbearing age
- Pregnancy
- Poor diet
- People who donate blood regularly
- Vegetarians who consume no meat and less iron-rich food
- Infants, especially prematurely born infants
- Children having a growth spurt
( Know more about- Home remedies to remove weakness in women )
What are the symptoms of Iron Deficiency?
The early symptoms of iron deficiency are very mild and a bit difficult to identify. But as the body becomes more deficient in iron, the symptoms of iron deficiency worsen.
Some of the symptoms commonly associated with iron deficiency include:
- Nails become weak and break easily
- Headache
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Weakness
- Cold hands and feet
- Tingling of limbs
- Severe fatigue
- Pale skin
- Pain in chest
- Shortness of breath
- Breathlessness
- Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as dirt, clay, or ice
- Swelling or soreness of the tongue
(Know more about- What is Dizziness? Home remedies for dizziness )
Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the above symptoms.
How to diagnose Iron Deficiency?
The doctor will first physically examine the patient, and note down the symptoms and medical history of the patient.
The doctor may recommend the following tests to diagnose iron deficiency:
Complete blood count (CBC):
- Iron deficiency can be diagnosed with the help of a CBC test.
- In case of an iron deficiency, the following results are obtained:
- Low hemoglobin (an iron-containing protein found in the RBCs)
- Low hematocrit (proportion of blood that is composed of RBCs)
- Low mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (average size of the RBCs)
- Low ferritin (a protein that consists of iron and is the primary form of iron that is stored inside the cells)
- Low iron saturation
- Low serum iron (blood iron level)
- High total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) or transferrin (body’s ability to transport iron in the blood)
- In severe cases, the white blood cell (WBC) (cells that are an integral part of the body’s defense system) count may be low, and the platelet count (cells that help in normal clotting of blood) may be either high or low
Endoscopy:
- The doctor may recommend this test to check for bleeding from the stomach, ulcer, or a hiatal hernia (a condition in which the stomach pushes into the chest cavity).
- A thin tube with a camera and light on one end is passed down from the throat into the stomach.
- This helps the doctor to look for the source of bleeding.
( Know more about- What is Endoscopy? Purpose, Types, Method, Aftercare, Results, Cost )
Colonoscopy:
- A colonoscopy may be recommended by the doctor to rule out any lower intestinal sources of bleeding.
- A flexible, thin tube with a camera on one end is inserted through the rectum (lower part of the large intestine where stools are stored in the body) into the colon (large intestine).
- This is done to check if there is any internal bleeding from the colon and the rectum.
Ultrasound:
- A pelvic (the body below the stomach area) ultrasound may be recommended in women who may have excessive menstrual bleeding.
- Sound waves are used to obtain clear images of the pelvic region in an ultrasound.
- Causes of heavy menstrual bleeding can be diagnosed by using this method, for example, the presence of uterine fibroids (non-cancerous growth in the uterus of a woman).
( Know more about- What is Colonoscopy? Purpose, Procedure, Aftercare, Results )
What are the treatments for Iron Deficiency?
The doctor may recommend the following treatment for iron deficiency:
Iron supplements:
- The doctor may recommend iron tablets to replenish the iron stores in the body. The doctor will recommend the correct dosage for you.
- For infants and children, iron may be given in the liquid form.
- To increase the absorption of iron present in the tablets, the doctor instructs you to:
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- Take the iron tablets on an empty stomach if possible
- Do not take iron tablets with antacids (medications taken to relieve heartburn), as they may affect the absorption of iron. Iron should be taken either two hours before or four hours after taking antacids.
- Iron tablets should be consumed with vitamin C-rich food like orange juice or a vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron.
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- A common side effect of consuming iron tablets is that it may cause constipation. The doctor will therefore recommend a stool softener for easy passage of stools along with iron tablets.
- Iron tablets may turn the stools black. This is a harmless side effect and requires no treatment.
- Iron tablets need to be taken for many months to correct iron deficiency, although one generally starts feeling much better after about a week of treatment.
- The doctor may recommend regular blood tests to measure the iron levels in the body.
( Know more about- What are 8 Iron-rich foods? )
Treatment of the underlying cause of the disease:
- If iron supplements fail to increase the iron levels in blood, iron deficiency is most likely caused due to internal bleeding or a problem in iron absorption.
- The doctor will recommend the following treatment for treating the cause of iron absorption:
- Antibiotics and other medicines for treating peptic ulcers
- Oral contraceptive medications to control the heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Surgery for the removal of a tumor, uterine fibroid, or polyp.
- In severe cases of iron deficiency, iron may be given intravenously (through the vein mostly in the arm) or a blood transfusion (blood from a donor is given intravenously) may be required for replacing the hemoglobin and iron quickly.
( Know more about- What is Bone marrow transplant surgery? Purpose, Tests, Procedure, Cost)
There are many hospitals and oncologists in India where bone marrow transplant surgery is done.
What are the complications of Iron Deficiency?
Iron deficiency is mild in most cases and does not cause any complications. However, if left untreated, iron deficiency may cause the following health disorders:
- Growth is delayed in infants and children: Severe iron deficiency may cause a delay in the growth and development of infants and children. They are also more susceptible to infections.
- Complications in pregnancy: In cases of severe iron deficiency, a child may be born with low birth weight or may be born prematurely. Pregnant women are usually given iron supplements during pregnancy to prevent iron deficiency.
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat: In cases of iron deficiency the heart needs to pump more blood to make up for the low oxygen levels in the body. This may cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat. It may lead to heart failure in severe cases.
( Know more about- What is Heart Bypass Surgery? Purpose, Tests, Procedure, Aftercare, Cost )
How to Prevent Iron Deficiency?
- The easiest way to prevent iron deficiency is to eat iron-rich food.
- Young children should not be given cow’s milk until they are one year old.
- Some iron-rich foods include gourd, pumpkin seeds, capsicum, green leafy vegetables, spinach, roasted potato, kidney beans. Other legumes, raisins, and other dry fruits also contain iron.
- For non-vegetarians, seafood, eggs, meats, and chicken are good sources of iron.
- To increase the absorption of iron, foods high in vitamin C should be consumed. Foods high in vitamin C include fruits like orange, strawberry, guava, kiwi, papaya, grapefruit, melon, mango, pineapple; cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, green and red bell peppers.
( Know more about- Benefits and Side effects of Red Kidney Beans )
We hope we have answered all your questions about iron deficiency through this article.
If you want more information about iron deficiency and its treatment, contact the General Physician.
We aim to provide you with information through this article. We do not recommend any medicine or treatment to anyone. Only a doctor can give you good advice and the correct treatment plan.
