Pregnant women are even more likely to have iron deficiency anemia because they require greater amounts of blood to support their growing babies. They occur when muscular tumors grow in the uterus. The condition can usually be corrected easily. However, if anemia or iron deficiency is left untreated, it can lead to other health problems.
This can lead to irregular heartbeat. In severe cases, it can lead to heart failure or an enlarged heart. In severe cases of iron deficiency, a child may be born prematurely or with a low birth weight. Most pregnant women take iron supplements as part of their prenatal care to prevent this from happening.
Infants and children who are severely deficient in iron may experience delayed growth and development. They may also be more prone to infections. Iron tablets can help restore iron levels in your body. If possible, you should take iron tablets on an empty stomach, which helps the body absorb them better.
If they upset your stomach, you can take them with meals. You may need to take the supplements for several months. Iron supplements may cause constipation or black stools. Additionally, vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. A doctor may prescribe birth control pills to women who have heavy periods.
This can reduce the amount of menstrual bleeding each month. In the most severe cases, a blood transfusion can replace iron and blood loss quickly. When caused by inadequate iron intake, iron deficiency anemia can be prevented by eating a diet high in iron-rich foods and vitamin C.
Mothers should make sure to feed their babies breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula. Diagnosing and treating iron deficiency anemia by yourself can result in adverse health effects due to too much iron in your blood. The complications from too much iron in your blood include liver damage and constipation. If you have symptoms of iron deficiency anemia, talk to your doctor instead. If you're not getting enough iron, you may develop iron-deficiency anemia. Here are 10 signs and symptoms that you're deficient in iron.
An iron infusion is one of the possible treatments for iron deficiency anemia. Here's what you need to know. Not all hair loss is due to genetics. Having an iron deficiency inhibits your production of hemoglobin, which is essential for hair growth.
Iron is essential for good health, but many people are deficient in it. The foods you eat can influence how much iron your body ends up absorbing. The average American gets all the iron they need from the food they eat. Pregnant women and people with certain conditions sometimes need extra iron. Anemia is caused by a lack of iron in your body. This can cause headaches and fatigue. It can also help the doctor decide whether to check for underlying conditions, such as leukemia or kidney disease.
If RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels fall below the normal range, a person is likely to have some form of anemia. The outlook for a person with anemia depends on the cause. People can sometimes prevent or manage anemia by making dietary changes alone. Anemia occurs when a low number of RBCs are circulating in the body.
There are over types of anemia. The most common type is iron-deficiency anemia. A doctor can use a CBC blood test to help detect anemia. Treatment varies, depending on the type, but it may include iron or vitamin supplements, medications, blood transfusions, and bone marrow transplants.
Find out about the potential benefits of iron including assisting with a healthy pregnancy, helping both mental and physical performance, and…. A serum iron test can tell doctors whether a person has low, healthy, or high iron levels. Normal levels vary between individuals, but having a result…. The gums can turn pale for several reasons.
Pale gums around the teeth may indicate anemia, which is often caused by a lack of iron, folate, or…. Nutritional-deficiency anemia happens when the body does not get enough iron or a few other nutrients from the diet. Learn more, including how to…. A variety of conditions and lifestyle factors can lead to a reduction in hemoglobin. Common causes include anemia, pregnancy, and thyroid conditions….
What to know about anemia. Share on Pinterest A person with anemia may experience fatigue, an irregular heartbeat, and chest pain. Causes and types. Risk factors. Latest news Could 'cupping' technique boost vaccine delivery? Scientists identify new cause of vascular injury in type 2 diabetes. Adolescent depression: Could school screening help?
Related Coverage. Prevention strategies. Foods that are good sources of iron include dried beans, dried fruits, eggs, lean red meat, salmon, iron-fortified breads and cereals, peas, tofu, dried fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables. Foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, strawberries, and tomatoes, may help increase your absorption of iron.
Diagnosis will explain tests and procedures that your doctor may use to diagnose iron-deficiency anemia. Living With will discuss what your doctor may recommend to prevent your iron-deficiency anemia from recurring, getting worse, or causing complications.
Research for Your Health will explain how we are using current research and advancing research to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. Participate in NHLBI Clinical Trials will explain our ongoing clinical studies that are investigating prevention strategies for iron-deficiency anemia. Signs and Symptoms.
Common signs of iron-deficiency anemia include: Brittle nails or spooning of the nails Cracks at the sides of the mouth Pale skin Swelling or soreness of the tongue Common symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia include: Chest pain Coldness in the hands and feet Difficulty concentrating Dizziness Fatigue, or feeling tired, is the most common symptom.
This can make it hard to find the energy to do normal activities. Headache Irregular heartbeat. This is a sign of more serious iron-deficiency anemia. Pica , which are unusual cravings for nonfood items, such as ice, dirt, paint, or starch. Restless legs syndrome Shortness of breath Weakness.
Undiagnosed or untreated iron-deficiency anemia may cause the following complications: Depression Heart problems. If you do not have enough hemoglobin-carrying red blood cells, your heart has to work harder to move oxygen-rich blood through your body. Cells in tissues need a steady supply of oxygen to work well.
Normally, hemoglobin in red blood cells takes up oxygen in the lungs and carries it to all the tissues of the body. When your heart has to work harder, this can lead to several conditions: irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias , a heart murmur , an enlarged heart, or even heart failure. Increased risk of infections Motor or cognitive development delays in children Pregnancy complications, such as preterm delivery or giving birth to a baby with low birth weight In people with chronic conditions, iron-deficiency anemia can make their condition worse or result in treatments not working as well.
Diagnosis will discuss any procedures used to detect signs of iron-deficiency anemia and help rule out other types of anemia.
Treatment will explain treatment-related complications or side effects. Diagnosis - Iron-Deficiency Anemia. Physical exam. Your doctor may ask about your medical history and any symptoms you are experiencing, and do a physical exam to look for any of the following signs that may help diagnose iron-deficiency anemia: Check for bleeding. Look to see whether your tongue, nails, or inner lining of your eyelids are pale.
Check your fingernails to see whether they are pale or brittle, and how quickly they refill with blood. Listen to your heart for rapid or irregular heartbeats. Listen to your lungs for rapid or uneven breathing. Feel your abdomen to check the size of your liver and spleen. Blood tests. Based on results from blood tests to screen for iron-deficiency anemia, your doctor may order the following blood tests to diagnose iron-deficiency anemia: Complete blood count CBC to see if you have lower than normal red blood cell counts, hemoglobin or hematocrit levels, or mean corpuscular volume MCV that would suggest anemia.
Iron to measure the amount of iron in your blood. The level of iron in your blood may be normal even if the total amount of iron in your body is low. For this reason, other iron tests are also done. Ferritin is a protein that helps store iron in your body.
Reticulocyte count to see if you have lower than normal numbers of these very young red blood cells. Peripheral smear to see if your red blood cells look smaller and paler than normal when viewed under a microscope.
Different tests help your doctor diagnose iron-deficiency anemia. Normal levels are 40 to for men and 20 to for women. More testing may be needed to rule out other types of anemia. Tests for gastrointestinal bleeding. Fecal occult blood test to check for blood in the stool. Blood in the stool would suggest bleeding in the GI tract and may require further testing. Upper endoscopy to look for bleeding in the esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine.
A tube with a tiny camera is inserted through your mouth down to your stomach and upper small intestine to view the lining of your upper digestive tract. Colonoscopy to look for bleeding or other abnormalities, such as growths or cancer of the lining of the colon. For this test, a small camera is inserted into the colon under sedation to view the colon directly. What if my doctor thinks something else is causing my iron-deficiency anemia? To find the cause of your iron-deficiency anemia, your doctor may order additional tests: Inflammation marker tests may help your doctor determine if inflammation is causing iron-deficiency anemia.
Blood tests allow your doctor to look at the amount of other nutrients in your blood, such as vitamin B12 or folic acid. Visit our Pernicious Anemia Health Topic to learn more. Bone marrow tests help your doctor see whether your bone marrow is healthy and making new blood cells.
Visit our Aplastic Anemia Health Topic to learn more. Return to Causes to review how blood loss, not consuming the recommended amount of iron, and medical conditions can lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Return to Risk Factors to review family history, lifestyle, unhealthy environments, or other factors that increase your risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia.
Return to Signs, Symptoms, and Complications to review common signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia. Return to Screening and Prevention to review tests to screen for and strategies to prevent iron-deficiency anemia.
Treatment - Iron-Deficiency Anemia. Iron supplements. If iron supplements alone are not able to replenish the levels of iron in your body, your doctor may recommend a procedure, including: Iron therapy, or intravenous IV iron. This is sometimes used to deliver iron through a blood vessel to increase iron levels in the blood.
One benefit of IV iron is that it often takes only one or a few sessions to replenish the amount of iron in your body. People with severe iron-deficiency anemia or who have chronic conditions such as kidney disease or celiac disease may be more likely to receive IV iron. You may experience vomiting, headache, or other side effects right after the IV iron, but these usually go away within a day or two.
Red blood cell transfusions. These may be used for people with severe iron-deficiency anemia to quickly increase the amount of red blood cells and iron in the blood. Your doctor may recommend this if you have serious complications of iron-deficiency anemia, such as chest pain. Surgery, upper endoscopy or colonoscopy, to stop bleeding.
Healthy lifestyle changes. To help you meet your daily recommended iron levels, your doctor may recommend that you: Adopt healthy lifestyle changes such as heart-healthy eating patterns. Increase your daily intake of iron-rich foods to help treat your iron-deficiency anemia. See Prevention strategies to learn about foods that are high in iron. It is important to know that increasing your intake of iron may not be enough to replace the iron your body normally stores but has used up.
Increase your intake of vitamin C to help your body absorb iron. Avoid drinking black tea, which reduces iron absorption. Other treatments. Living With will discuss what your doctor may recommend, including lifelong lifestyle changes and medical care to prevent your condition from recurring, getting worse, or causing complications.
Research for Your Health will discuss how we are using current research and advancing research to treat people with iron-deficiency anemia. Participate in NHLBI Clinical Trials will highlight our ongoing clinical studies that are investigating treatments for iron-deficiency anemia.
Living With - Iron-Deficiency Anemia. Follow your treatment plan. Monitor your condition. Your doctor may: Ask about your signs and symptoms , including whether you have any new or worsening symptoms. Repeat blood tests , such as complete blood count and iron studies. Prevent complications over your lifetime. Learn the warning signs of serious complications and have a plan. Learn about other precautions to help you stay safe.
Return to Treatment to review possible treatment options for iron-deficiency anemia. Return to Signs, Symptoms, and Complications to review signs and symptoms as well as complications from iron-deficiency anemia. Research for Your Health. Improving health with current research. Recipient Epidemiology Donor Studies program findings help to protect blood donors.
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