American Hemochromatosis Society Article
Iron Deficiency Symptoms Outlined
If a person does not have enough iron in their diet, or their body does not absorb iron properly, they may experience an iron deficiency. If a person has a loss of blood, they may also experience an iron deficiency. Children may experience an iron deficiency for the same reasons, including lead poisoning. Iron deficiency can occur anytime that the body experiences a loss of iron. This normally occurs when the loss is bigger than the overall consumption of iron. This is a very common condition among people in the United States.
Iron is very important to the overall functioning of the body. It is found in red blood cells in a substance that is called “hemoglobin”. The main task of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen throughout the entire body. If a person experiences an iron deficiency, their body suffers from less oxygen and this, in turn, makes the body experience fatigue from the lack of energy.
People who experience an iron deficiency are often diagnosed with “anemia”. This is the last stage of an iron deficiency that is considered chronic. There are numerous symptoms associated with anemia and general iron deficiencies. If you feel that you may have issues with your iron, or have any of the symptoms associated with an iron deficiency, you should consult your physician for the proper testing as soon as possible. It is not wise to self diagnose symptoms that are associated with iron in the body.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may have an iron deficiency: *Experience extreme fatigue and your body feel generally weak *Abdominal pain that may persist or come and go *Problems sleeping – sleeping too much, or not getting enough sleep *The skin may become very pale – especially in the areas of the eyes and the mouth *Females may experience issues with severe menstrual cramps and bleeding *You may experience a decrease in appetite *You may find that you experience sickness more frequently because your immunity is weakened *You may want to consume items that are not food. For example, you may want to eat ice; you may crave dirt and even paint. *Many people that have iron deficiencies complain of headaches *You may experience a tore tongue *You may experience blood pressure changes
The above listed symptoms are quite general, but can give you a good idea on what types of symptoms that you can expect to experience if you have issues with your iron levels. If you find that you have any of the above listed symptoms, you may want to set up an appointment with your doctor in order to receive testing. Normally, your doctor will do a test on your blood that looks at it from every angle. The testing will focus on the level of iron that is currently in your blood and how the body processes iron.
If the doctor establishes that there is an issue with low iron, they will usually give you a prescription to increase the amount of iron in your body or a similar treatment.
