What are the Symptoms of İron Deficiency

What are the Symptoms of İron Deficiency

                                          

What are the Symptoms of Iron Deficiency? What Are the Symptoms of Low Iron? You can find answers to questions such as:

There are some components that our body needs. One of these components is iron. Iron, which can restrict our daily activities in case of deficiency, needs to be supplemented regularly. In this content, we will answer questions such as what is iron deficiency, what are its symptoms and how is its treatment.

Here's everything you need to know about iron deficiency.

What is Iron Deficiency?

Iron deficiency is a disorder that results from the lack of red blood cells in our body and causes a lack of oxygen in the body along with the blood. Of those who have iron deficiency, 20% are women, 50% are pregnant women, and 3% are men.

What are the Symptoms of Iron Deficiency ?

Symptoms of iron deficiency can sometimes be severe enough to limit the daily activities of the person, and sometimes they can be mild. Although the symptoms may begin as mild, as the body's need for iron increases, the symptoms begin to worsen. Here are the common symptoms of iron deficiency;

1. Weakness

Unexplained fatigue is one of the biggest symptoms of iron deficiency. As the oxygen level going to the body decreases, the energy of the person is also depleted and he feels constantly sluggish and tired. The person may also become irritable.

2. Pale Skin

Due to the scarcity of blood cells in the body, the skin of the person looks pale than it should be. Especially the lips, mouth and gums appear pale.

3. Shortness of Breath

It is very normal to have shortness of breath due to the lack of oxygen in the body. Since there is insufficient oxygen, the person needs to breathe constantly. Activities that would not force your breathing normally can cause you to experience shortness of breath due to iron deficiency.

What are the Symptoms of İron Deficiency

                                      

4. Palpitations

One of the symptoms of iron deficiency is palpitations. The reason is that the heart is working harder than normal for oxygen.

5. The Willingness to Eat Things That Can't Be Eaten

The desire to eat something that cannot be eaten is one of the biggest symptoms of iron deficiency. There may be iron deficiency or psychological reasons behind the desire to eat things that cannot be eaten.

6. Increased Anxiety

The decreased amount of oxygen in the blood negatively affects the nervous system. Unexplained anxiety and nervousness are among the symptoms of iron deficiency.

7. Hair Loss

Hair loss is a symptom of iron deficiency anemia.

8. Lack of Concentration

In cases where the iron mineral is deficient, conditions such as lack of concentration and weakening of memory may occur.

9. Weak and Brittle Nails

Iron deficiency is the main cause of nail breakage or deformity. Nails that break easily are one of the symptoms of iron deficiency. Therefore, taking care of our nails that do not get enough iron will not fix the problem. If there is not enough iron, the nails coming from the root will come out weak and damaged.

10. Lack of appetite

Iron deficiency, which leads from eating to drinking to being cut off, causes us to weaken by making the body almost exhausted. One of the biggest symptoms, fatigue, is caused by not eating enough. Many factors can cause loss of appetite from day to day, and if it starts suddenly, the reason is iron deficiency.

11. Coldness in Hands and Feet

With the decrease in body resistance, the fingers, which are the furthest points of the body, start to get cold because there is not enough blood pressure and energy production. If your fingers are cold when there is no disease, the reason is iron deficiency.

12. Dizziness

Along with weakness, fatigue and other symptoms, iron deficiency also causes dizziness. However, the main reason for this is the tiredness of the body. The diseases caused by iron deficiency trigger each other in a chain.

13. Tingling Sensation in Legs

Without the necessary nutrition, our body cannot produce the energy it needs to produce and we become exhausted. What we need while doing any job is strength and endurance. However, when iron loss is experienced in the body, endurance will be minimized. However, there will be numbness and tingling in the legs.

14. Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome is the feeling of being unable to stand, accompanied by mild tremors in our legs. While there may be multiple reasons for catching this syndrome, one of the biggest causes is iron deficiency.

15. Tongue Pain

Decreased sense of taste and pain in the tongue indicate iron deficiency. Lack of taste in the food you eat can also cause appetite disturbance.

Many patients with iron deficiency are constantly wondering what is good for iron deficiency. The first thing to do to prevent iron deficiency is to choose foods rich in iron. Here are herbal solutions that are good for iron deficiency.

1. Apple

Apple is one of the foods that are good for iron deficiency. Apple is a food that is used quite often in the treatment of anemia. Every adult should consume an average of 2-3 apples per day. If possible, we recommend consuming green apples.

2. Honey

One of the foods that eliminates iron deficiency is honey. Honey is an excellent anemia remedy. Mix a tablespoon of honey with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Do not neglect to use it daily, as it has a feature that directly benefits iron deficiency.

3. Blackcurrant (Dried)

Blackcurrant contains a large amount of iron and vitamin C. After soaking an average of 10 dried black currants in water overnight, remove them from the water and remove the seeds. Eating before breakfast is good for iron deficiency.

4. Beets

Beetroot is perhaps one of the foods that contain the most iron. Beetroot, which contains plenty of fiber, calcium, potassium, sulfur and vitamins, also cleans the body as well as closing the iron deficiency. This increases the amount of blood circulating in the body.

What are the Symptoms of İron Deficiency

                                         

5. Spinach

Spinach, which eliminates the iron deficiency in the human body, is a good food source in terms of vitamin B12 and folic acid. Spinach consumption eliminates 40 percent of the average iron deficiency.

You can make up for the iron deficiency with the above foods. For more detailed information about these foods, you can take a look at our content called "Foods to Prevent Iron Deficiency".

What are the Harms of Iron Deficiency?

As a result of iron deficiency seen in babies, normal activities and movements slow down. In iron deficiency seen during pregnancy, low weight and premature birth can be seen. That's why pregnant women need to be more careful about this situation. The harms of iron deficiency affect people of all ages differently. If you think you have this type of ailment, we recommend that you consult your doctor first.

How Much Iron Do We Need Daily?

In order to eliminate the damages of iron deficiency, you need to take daily iron supplement. The daily iron requirement is 0.27 mg in babies up to 6 months and 11 mg in babies aged 7-12 months.

In children, this is 7 mg between the ages of 1-3, 10 mg between the ages of 4-8, 8 mg between the ages of 9-13 and 11 mg between the ages of 14-18. For adults, it is 8 mg for men aged 19-30 years, 18 mg for women, 8 mg for men aged 31-50 years, 18 mg for women, and 8 mg for everyone over 51 years of age. For those who are pregnant, the daily iron requirement is 27 mg. Likewise, it is 9 mg in breastfeeding people.

What are the Causes of Iron Deficiency?

Iron deficiency can have many causes. These reasons can be grouped into 2 main categories.

1. Increased Need for Iron

We need iron at every stage of life. Especially for children, the need for iron in the growing period is very important and necessary. Iron needs for children may not be met by diet alone. As a result, the risk of iron deficiency increases.

Pregnant women need more iron than usual. Iron deficiency is also seen in women who have heavy menstrual bleeding. One of the causes of iron deficiency is blood loss because the need for iron increases more as a result of blood loss.

2. Diet

Iron from animal products is absorbed by the body. That's why vegetarian people are more likely to be iron deficient. People who do not consume meat should at least consume foods rich in iron. In addition, it has been determined that drugs used in the treatment of reflux and ulcers may cause iron deficiency. These drugs must be used under the supervision of a doctor.

How is Iron Deficiency Diagnosed?

If you are seeing signs of iron deficiency in yourself, the doctor will order some tests to measure the amount of iron in your blood. We can list these tests as Hemoglobin test, Hematocrit test, complete blood count, serum ferritin test and serum iron test.

Iron Deficiency Treatment

If the patient shows iron deficiency as a result of the tests requested by the doctor, the underlying causes of the iron deficiency should be investigated. The reason for this is that the treatment method varies according to the factors causing iron deficiency.

If the doctor has diagnosed iron deficiency as a nutritional deficiency, then he may prescribe iron supplements to the patient. Apart from this, he can also give an iron-supported nutrition program. In the treatment of iron deficiency, it should first be understood which disease causes iron deficiency under the control of a doctor. After the diagnosis is made, treatment for iron deficiency should be started.