Iron Deficiency Anemia (Low Iron): Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Is Iron Deficiency Anemia?
• Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Risk Factors of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Complications of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• More

Iron deficiency anemia is when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. 

Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Every organ and tissue in your body needs oxygen to work. Without enough oxygen in your blood, you may feel tired, weak, and short of breath.

You get iron deficiency anemia when your body is low in iron. You need iron to make hemoglobin, a protein that helps your red blood cells carry oxygen. 

Your doctor will find out why your iron is low. Usually, you can treat iron deficiency anemia with supplements. Once your iron levels go up, you should start to feel better.

Mild iron deficiency anemia often isn’t noticeable. When it gets more severe, you may have these symptoms:

• Fatigue or weakness
• Pale or yellow skin
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Headaches
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Cold feet and hands
• Brittle, cracked nails, spoon-shaped nails
• Hair loss
• Cracks near the side of your mouth
• Pica (cravings for things that aren’t food, like dirt, starch, clay, or ice)
• Sore and swollen tongue
• Restless legs syndrome (an urge to move your legs while you’re in bed)

Because these can also be symptoms of other conditions, see your doctor to get a diagnosis.

It can happen if you don’t eat enough foods containing iron, your body can’t properly absorb iron, you lose iron through your blood, or you’re pregnant.

Your diet is low in iron. How much iron you need depends on your age and gender. Men need at least 8 milligrams daily. Women ages 50 and younger need more — 18 milligrams.

Your body can’t absorb iron. Iron from the foods you eat is absorbed in your small intestine. Conditions like celiac disease,ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease can make it harder for your intestines to absorb iron. Surgery such as gastric bypass that removes part of your intestines, and medicines used to lower stomach acid can also affect your body’s ability to absorb iron.

Blood loss. Some conditions can make you bleed inside your body, including:

• Peptic ulcer
• Hernia
• Uterine fibroids
• Colon polyps

Heavy periods. Women with heavy periods can become low in iron. 

Injuries. Any injury that causes you to lose blood can cause iron deficiency anemia.

Frequent blood donations.  You should wait at least 8 weeks between blood donations.

Pregnancy. When you’re expecting, you need extra iron to nourish your growing baby. If you don’t get enough iron from your diet or supplements, you can become deficient.

End-stage kidney failure. If you are getting dialysis for end-stage kidney failure, you can lose blood. Some people with end-stage kidney failure also take medications that can cause iron-deficiency anemia.

Medications. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause internal gastrointestinal bleeding. Proton pump inhibitors, used to control acid reflux, can prevent your body from absorbing enough iron.

Chronic health conditions that cause inflammation. This can include congestive heart failure as well as obesity.

Different factors can raise your risk of getting iron deficiency anemia. Some can be changed and some cannot. Risk factors include:

Age. Children aged 6 months to 2 years, teens, and adults over the age of 65 are most at risk.

Lifestyle. This can include exercising a lot (including endurance sports) and not eating enough foods rich in iron.  

Lead. Lead from water or from environmental sources can get in the way of making red blood cells.

Family history and genetics. Two inherited diseases, hemophilia and von Willebrand disease, can cause you to bleed more and lose iron.

Gender. Girls and women who have heavy periods or are pregnant or breastfeeding need more iron.

Your doctor will do one or more of these blood tests to find out if you have iron deficiency anemia.

• Complete blood count (CBC). This test checks to see how many red blood cells you have.
• Peripheral blood smear. This test looks at the size and shape of your red blood cells. In iron deficiency anemia, red blood cells are smaller than usual.
• Hematocrit. This test shows how much of your blood is made up of red cells.
• Hemoglobin. This test shows the amount of this protein in your blood. If you have anemia, your hemoglobin will be low.
• Serum iron. This test shows how much iron is in your blood.
• Ferritin. This test shows how much iron is stored in your body by measuring this protein.
• Transferrin and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC). These tests show how much of a protein called transferrin is free to carry iron through your body.
• Reticulocyte count. This test shows how many reticulocytes (immature red blood cells) you have in your blood. If you have iron deficiency anemia, your reticulocyte count is usually low because you’re not making many new red blood cells.

If blood tests show you have iron deficiency anemia, you might need other tests like these to see what’s causing it.

• Endoscopy. Your doctor uses a tube with a camera on one end to look inside your esophagus or colon. Endoscopy can find bleeding in your GI tract from ulcers, polyps, or other growths.
• Pelvic ultrasound or uterinebiopsy. If you bleed a lot during your monthly periods, this test can find the cause.
• Fecal occult blood test. This test looks for tiny amounts of blood in your poop to check for cancer and other causes of bleeding in your intestines.

You can treat iron deficiency anemia by taking iron supplements. Most people take 150 to 200 milligrams each day, but your doctor will recommend a dose based on your iron levels. Taking vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron.

You might need to take iron supplements for a few months or more to get your levels to normal. If your intestines don’t absorb iron well, you can take iron straight into your bloodstream through an intravenous tube (IV).

But be warned: Iron supplements can cause constipation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, and dark-colored poop.

Your symptoms should start to go away after about a week. Your doctor will check your blood to see if your anemia has improved.

You can also get more iron in your diet by eating more of these foods:

• Beef, pork, liver, chicken, turkey, duck, and shellfish
• Leafy greens such as broccoli, kale, turnip greens, and collard greens
• Peas, lima beans, black-eyed peas, and pinto beans
• Iron-enriched cereals and other grains
• Dried fruits, such as prunes and raisins

Eating foods high in iron may also prevent anemia.

If supplements don’t help with your symptoms or your anemia is severe, you might need a transfusion of red blood cells. Or, if you have an ulcer, tumor, or other growth, it may need to be treated with medicines or surgery.

If you don’t know you have iron deficiency anemia or if you know you have it but aren’t getting the right treatment, you could end up with complications such as:

• Depression.
• A higher risk of infection. This is because your immune system may not be working properly.
• Problems with pregnancy. This can include preterm delivery and low-birth-weight babies.
• Heart problems. Without enough red blood cells, your heart has to pump harder to get enough nutrients to the rest of your body. This causes strain, which can lead to heart failure, irregular heartbeat, an enlarged heart, or a heart murmur.
• Developmental delays in children. This can include cognitive problems and motor problems.

Top Picks

Iron Deficiency Anemia (Low Iron): Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Is Iron Deficiency Anemia?
• Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Risk Factors of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Complications of Iron Deficiency Anemia
• More

Iron deficiency anemia is when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells.  

Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Every organ and tissue in your body needs oxygen to work. Without enough oxygen in your blood, you may feel tired, weak, and short of breath.

You get iron deficiency anemia when your body is low in iron. You need iron to make hemoglobin, a protein that helps your red blood cells carry oxygen. 

Your doctor will find out why your iron is low. Usually, you can treat iron deficiency anemia with supplements. Once your iron levels go up, you should start to feel better.

Mild iron deficiency anemia often isn’t noticeable. When it gets more severe, you may have these symptoms:

• Fatigue or weakness
• Pale or yellow skin
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Headaches
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Cold feet and hands
• Brittle, cracked nails, spoon-shaped nails
• Hair loss
• Cracks near the side of your mouth
• Pica (cravings for things that aren’t food, like dirt, starch, clay, or ice)
• Sore and swollen tongue
• Restless legs syndrome (an urge to move your legs while you’re in bed)

Because these can also be symptoms of other conditions, see your doctor to get a diagnosis.

It can happen if you don’t eat enough foods containing iron, your body can’t properly absorb iron, you lose iron through your blood, or you’re pregnant.

Your diet is low in iron. How much iron you need depends on your age and gender. Men need at least 8 milligrams daily. Women ages 50 and younger need more — 18 milligrams.

Your body can’t absorb iron. Iron from the foods you eat is absorbed in your small intestine. Conditions like celiac disease,ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease can make it harder for your intestines to absorb iron. Surgery such as gastric bypass that removes part of your intestines, and medicines used to lower stomach acid can also affect your body’s ability to absorb iron.

Blood loss. Some conditions can make you bleed inside your body, including:

• Peptic ulcer
• Hernia
• Uterine fibroids
• Colon polyps

Heavy periods. Women with heavy periods can become low in iron.  

Injuries. Any injury that causes you to lose blood can cause iron deficiency anemia.

Frequent blood donations.  You should wait at least 8 weeks between blood donations.

Pregnancy. When you’re expecting, you need extra iron to nourish your growing baby. If you don’t get enough iron from your diet or supplements, you can become deficient.

End-stage kidney failure. If you are getting dialysis for end-stage kidney failure, you can lose blood. Some people with end-stage kidney failure also take medications that can cause iron-deficiency anemia.

Medications. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause internal gastrointestinal bleeding. Proton pump inhibitors, used to control acid reflux, can prevent your body from absorbing enough iron.

Chronic health conditions that cause inflammation. This can include congestive heart failure as well as obesity.

Different factors can raise your risk of getting iron deficiency anemia. Some can be changed and some cannot. Risk factors include:

Age. Children aged 6 months to 2 years, teens, and adults over the age of 65 are most at risk.

Lifestyle. This can include exercising a lot (including endurance sports) and not eating enough foods rich in iron.  

Lead. Lead from water or from environmental sources can get in the way of making red blood cells.

Family history and genetics. Two inherited diseases, hemophilia and von Willebrand disease, can cause you to bleed more and lose iron.

Gender. Girls and women who have heavy periods or are pregnant or breastfeeding need more iron.

Your doctor will do one or more of these blood tests to find out if you have iron deficiency anemia.

• Complete blood count (CBC). This test checks to see how many red blood cells you have.
• Peripheral blood smear. This test looks at the size and shape of your red blood cells. In iron deficiency anemia, red blood cells are smaller than usual.
• Hematocrit. This test shows how much of your blood is made up of red cells.
• Hemoglobin. This test shows the amount of this protein in your blood. If you have anemia, your hemoglobin will be low.
• Serum iron. This test shows how much iron is in your blood.
• Ferritin. This test shows how much iron is stored in your body by measuring this protein.
• Transferrin and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC). These tests show how much of a protein called transferrin is free to carry iron through your body.
• Reticulocyte count. This test shows how many reticulocytes (immature red blood cells) you have in your blood. If you have iron deficiency anemia, your reticulocyte count is usually low because you’re not making many new red blood cells.

If blood tests show you have iron deficiency anemia, you might need other tests like these to see what’s causing it.

• Endoscopy. Your doctor uses a tube with a camera on one end to look inside your esophagus or colon. Endoscopy can find bleeding in your GI tract from ulcers, polyps, or other growths.
• Pelvic ultrasound or uterinebiopsy. If you bleed a lot during your monthly periods, this test can find the cause.
• Fecal occult blood test. This test looks for tiny amounts of blood in your poop to check for cancer and other causes of bleeding in your intestines.

You can treat iron deficiency anemia by taking iron supplements. Most people take 150 to 200 milligrams each day, but your doctor will recommend a dose based on your iron levels. Taking vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron.

You might need to take iron supplements for a few months or more to get your levels to normal. If your intestines don’t absorb iron well, you can take iron straight into your bloodstream through an intravenous tube (IV).

But be warned: Iron supplements can cause constipation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, and dark-colored poop.

Your symptoms should start to go away after about a week. Your doctor will check your blood to see if your anemia has improved.

You can also get more iron in your diet by eating more of these foods:

• Beef, pork, liver, chicken, turkey, duck, and shellfish
• Leafy greens such as broccoli, kale, turnip greens, and collard greens
• Peas, lima beans, black-eyed peas, and pinto beans
• Iron-enriched cereals and other grains
• Dried fruits, such as prunes and raisins

Eating foods high in iron may also prevent anemia.

If supplements don’t help with your symptoms or your anemia is severe, you might need a transfusion of red blood cells. Or, if you have an ulcer, tumor, or other growth, it may need to be treated with medicines or surgery.

If you don’t know you have iron deficiency anemia or if you know you have it but aren’t getting the right treatment, you could end up with complications such as:

• Depression.
• A higher risk of infection. This is because your immune system may not be working properly.
• Problems with pregnancy. This can include preterm delivery and low-birth-weight babies.
• Heart problems. Without enough red blood cells, your heart has to pump harder to get enough nutrients to the rest of your body. This causes strain, which can lead to heart failure, irregular heartbeat, an enlarged heart, or a heart murmur.
• Developmental delays in children. This can include cognitive problems and motor problems.

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what is it and why is it so dangerous

Iron deficiency anemia is common, especially in young women (including pregnant women) and children.

It occurs both on its own and against the background of other diseases.

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You can undergo a comprehensive examination of all major body systems

• The first signs of anemia
• Foods for the prevention of anemia
• Vegetarianism and prevention of anemia
• Treatment of anemia
• Treatment of anemia in children

First signs of anemia

Recently, she has become very tired. Tortured headaches, strong heartbeat.
The skin is dry and pale, the bites in the corners of the mouth do not go away. Therapist
said that it looked like symptoms of anemia and recommended taking a general blood test. Hemoglobin was normal.
The doctor insists that I donate blood and serum iron. Is that more true
analysis?

Everything described really looks like signs of anemia (or anemia). And your doctor is right about the analysis.
A routine blood test may not reveal the problem, since the drop in hemoglobin does not occur immediately,
even if organs and tissues are already acutely suffering from iron deficiency. It is especially difficult to diagnose anemia in smokers.
The fact is that carbon monoxide contained in tobacco, when combined with hemoglobin, forms
a special form – carboxyhemoglobin, which is not able to carry oxygen to organs and tissues.
At the same time, the level of hemoglobin in the body can not only not fall, but even increase.

Therefore, it is better to conduct a comprehensive examination: to determine the level in the blood
serum iron, saturated transferrins (transport iron) and ferritin. Even if at high or
At a normal hemoglobin level, ferritin is lowered, which means that there is a true iron deficiency anemia. Analysis
will allow a correct diagnosis to be made.

Prevention of anemia – what foods contain iron

My children and I are vegetarians.

From which plant products can we
get iron to prevent anemia?

In general, maintaining an optimal level of iron in the body is easier for meat-eaters. And not because
vegetarian food is poor for them. On the contrary, there is a lot of iron in plant products: buckwheat, dried fruits,
beans, parsley, oatmeal, millet, dried mushrooms, honey, seaweed. However, such iron (trivalent) is bad
digested. First, it needs to turn into a divalent form in the body (it is this iron that is contained
in meat). And those who have reduced stomach acidity (for example, have anacid gastritis), iron
from plant foods is not absorbed at all.

In addition, when eating foods that are sources of iron, it is important
avoid the simultaneous use of food that impairs the absorption of this mineral. It is primarily dairy
products, strong tea and coffee – calcium and tannins interfere with absorption. But cocoa or a little dry
white wine, on the contrary, help. But the easiest way to keep iron under control is by eating meat. And for a side dish
choose vegetables rich in vitamin C. Ascorbic acid increases iron absorption.

Vegetarians are better off with a doctor
choose the optimal form and dose of iron preparations for prevention
anemia. It is impossible to take iron supplements uncontrollably. Iron overload leads to congestive heart
failure, liver and kidney damage. In addition, there are diseases in which iron intake
unwanted. These are inflammation of the pancreas, stomach ulcers, intestinal diseases, exacerbation of infections.

It is especially important to monitor and, if necessary, regulate iron levels.
future mothers. It is urgent to respond when signs of anemia appear during pregnancy. This will prevent
the development of preeclampsia, premature birth, malformations in the fetus and many other problems for the mother and newborn.

Treatment of anemia or iron deficiency anemia

My hemoglobin has decreased – 85 g/l.

Is it very critical? What is the best treatment
anemia: food or drugs? And what is more effective: pills or injections? How long should you take
drugs?

The diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia in women is made when hemoglobin values ​​are below 120 g/l (or
110 g / l during pregnancy) or a decrease in the level of erythrocytes to 3.8 million / μl. In men
scores are slightly higher.

Diet in your case is not enough, because the numbers below 90 g / l do not indicate the initial,
but on the average degree of the disease. Hemoglobin below 70 is already a sign of a severe form of deficiency,
requiring a blood or packed red cell transfusion.

But before thinking about taking medication, you need to find out the reason
anemia. The most dangerous of them are chronic blood loss. It could be stomach bleeding, ulcers
esophagus, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids. In women, anemia often accompanies gynecological diseases –
for example, uterine fibroids, in which heavy menstruation occurs.

Often a problem with treatment occurs due to poor absorption of iron in the gastrointestinal tract –
for example, in diseases of the intestine. There is anemia that accompanies chronic renal failure.
The cause of hemolytic anemia is a violation of hematopoiesis. Accordingly, first of all, it is necessary to treat
underlying disease. You need to take iron supplements for a long time, at least two months.

Concomitant diseases should be taken into account when choosing the form of the drug for treatment. For example, in case of violation
iron absorption or intolerance, as well as diseases of the digestive tract, it is better to prefer
the medicine is not in tablets, but in injections.

By the way, a decrease in hemoglobin is not always associated with iron deficiency. Can
there may be other reasons. With anemia, sometimes the body lacks B vitamins (especially vitamin B12)
and folic acid, which are involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin.

Do children often have anemia or is this problem more common for adults? How to treat
iron deficiency in a child?

According to WHO, 82% of children suffer from anemia of varying severity. These conditions may interfere with their
mental and physical development. The reasons why anemia occurs are common to both children and
adults. This is an unbalanced diet (especially a lack of protein foods), deterioration of the environment and quality
products, acute blood loss, iron absorption disorders in the digestive tract due to gastrointestinal diseases and parasitic
infections. It is possible to regulate the level of iron with a diet only with a slight decrease in hemoglobin, and with an average
degree of anemia, it is necessary to take drugs in the optimal dosage, which can only be calculated
specialist.

Ask a therapist about your health
You can always use the Doctis mobile app. First
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Now!

The author of the article: Zhanna Valentinovna Dorosh

symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment in Anapa

Iron deficiency anemia is a condition caused by a decrease in the level of iron in the blood due to a violation of its supply, absorption or loss. Iron deficiency is not harmless, against its background, immunity weakens, memory deteriorates, concentration of attention decreases, a person feels constant fatigue. In severe cases, the heart is affected and anemic precoma develops. You can take a blood test at the NeoMed diagnostic center even without a referral, and if necessary, undergo an additional examination, get a consultation and a doctor’s appointment.

Symptoms of iron deficiency

IDA is highly prevalent in children and adults worldwide. Almost every second child of preschool age and half of pregnant women suffer from iron deficiency. About 9% of children under two years of age are treated for anemia. According to WHO, the number of people with iron deficiency in the world is at least 600 million people.

Iron deficiency anemia can be mild, moderate or severe. In a mild degree, there are no clinical manifestations or they practically do not bother. In moderate degree, symptoms appear, which should be paid attention to:

• fatigue;
• weakness;
• reduced concentration;
• pallor of mucous membranes and nail beds;
• skin peeling.

In severe form, more pronounced symptoms are added:

• shortness of breath on slight exertion;
• dizziness, tinnitus;
• arrhythmia, rapid pulse;
• sleep disorder;
• chilliness;
• brittle nails;
• frequent colds.

With the development of anemic precoma, the skin and mucous membranes become pale, tachycardia appears, hallucinations and depressive syndrome are possible. Urgent medical attention is needed. If you do not normalize the level of iron in the body, an anemic coma can occur with loss of consciousness and lack of reflexes.

Causes of iron deficiency anemia and their detection

Iron deficiency anemia can be acute or chronic. Acute iron deficiency occurs against the background of severe blood loss – injuries, accidents, open volumetric surgical interventions, bleeding from internal organs (uterine, gastrointestinal tract, with hemorrhoids, from the nose). In the acute form, the symptoms come on sharply – blood pressure decreases, dizziness, heart rate increases.

Chronic IDA is sluggish and can be caused by various causes. In young children, iron deficiency often occurs due to malnutrition. In girls during puberty, the cause is large blood loss during unstable periods. At risk are women who exhaust themselves with diets.

In adults, anemia is the most common, which develops as a result of diseases of the digestive system, in which the absorption of microelements is impaired, and prolonged hidden bleeding. Iron deficiency anemia is detected by general and biochemical blood tests, it is indicated by an underestimated level of total hemoglobin, a low average hemoglobin content in one erythrocyte, and a number of other indicators that are evaluated by the doctor. Biochemical analysis is necessary to identify diseases that can lead to iron deficiency.

If internal bleeding is suspected, a fecal occult blood test is performed. The presence of blood indicates serious illness. These can be bleeding ulcers, tumors, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, internal hemorrhoids, and other diseases of the stomach and intestines.

To identify the cause of blood loss that causes IDA, NeoMed conducts endoscopic examinations, which, without incisions, allow you to examine the internal organs from the inside and, if necessary, make a biopsy. During the examination, the doctor can immediately eliminate the detected bleeding using endoscopic instruments.

Methods of endoscopic diagnostics:

• Sigmoidoscopy – examination through the anus of the rectum and lower sigmoid.
• Colonoscopy – examination of the entire large intestine.
• Gastroscopy – inspection of the esophagus, stomach and upper intestines with an instrument inserted through the mouth.
• Hysteroscopy – examination of the uterus from the inside.

Treatment of iron deficiency

Iron deficiency anemia is easily curable, treatment is prescribed after the cause is identified and the diagnosis is established. To normalize hemoglobin, drugs are prescribed that compensate for the lack of iron.