Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency in food and women are among those with the highest risk. Iron is critical for the production of hemoglobin, a protein that helps red blood cells supply oxygen to your entire body. So without it, everything suffers and can cause anemia. Check for these iron deficiency symptoms and if you have them, see your doctor and ask for a test for iron stores in your body.
1. You are exhausted
Fatigue is the most common symptom of iron deficiency and can be the most difficult to detect. “Women are used to having a hectic life and feeling tired,” says an article in Blood magazine of the American Hematology Association, written by Nancy Berliner. “They often forget that they are tired.” But iron deficiency causes less oxygen to go to your tissues and your body is deprived of the energy it needs. If your “normal” fatigue is coupled with your feeling of weakness, irritability, or inability to concentrate, iron (or lack thereof) may have something to do with it. After all, there is a reason that people, whose iron deficiency progresses to anemia, are often said to have “tired blood.”
2. You have severe menstruation
In women, the number one cause of iron deficiency is very severe periods. They lose a lot of blood, replace about half of them, and then lose a lot the following month. Try the buffer test. If you need to change it every two hours, talk to your gynecologist.
3. You are pale
There is a reason that the words “pale” and “sick” are often used interchangeably. Hemoglobin gives the blood its red color. So your skin is pink. This means that low levels of protein can absorb the color directly from your skin. It is very easy to notice in people with white skin. But regardless of your skin color, if the inside of the lips, gums, and inside of the eyelids are less red than usual, the blame lies with the iron.
4.
Breathe lightly No matter how deep you breathe, if your oxygen levels are low, you feel like you are short of air. If you notice that you are suffocating by doing the things you normally do, whether climbing stairs or doing your usual exercise, you can blame the lack of iron.
5. Your heart beats hard
A heart that works too hard can end up suffering from irregular beats, noise, enlargement and even heart failure. If things go so badly, you will probably suffer from iron deficiency anemia for a while. However, if you know you have heart problems, it is important to check your iron levels because iron deficiency can make existing problems worse.
6. Do you have restless legs syndrome?
Are you nervous? About 15% of people with restless legs syndrome have iron deficiency. The lower the iron level, the worse the symptoms.
7. You have headaches
An iron-deficient body will have the advantage of getting oxygen to the brain before worrying about other tissues, but even then you get less than you need. In response, the arteries of the brain may swell, causing headaches.
8. You want to consume non-food items The
desire to chew non-food items can be a sign of iron deficiency. People with iron deficiency may be tempted to chew lime, paper, etc. Thankfully, women are looking for ice. In this case, they have a sign that they should see a doctor when they notice that they are chewing ice.
9. Feeling anxious for no reason
Even if your life wasn’t stressful enough, iron deficiency can make you feel more anxious. Lack of oxygen speeds up the nervous system, which plays the role of gas pedal for your body. Also, since a lack of iron can make your heart race, it’s easy to feel like you’re flying even when you have every reason to feel relaxed.
10. Your hair is falling out
Iron deficiency, especially when it progresses to anemia due to lack of it, can cause hair loss. It puts your body in a state of survival so that its channels support the vital functions that counteract those that keep your hair in place. Don’t be alarmed if some of your hair falls out. Most people have a hair loss of 100 hairs in the best days.
11. Are you a vegetarian or a vegan?
All iron is not created the same way. Your body absorbs iron in the blood, which comes from meat, poultry and fish, two to three times more efficiently than iron from plants. However, you can get enough iron with careful food planning. Green vegetables, whole grains and legumes are all rich in iron. Combine them with foods rich in vitamin C such as peppers, ground manatees and broccoli to increase your absorption.
12. You are pregnant
Folic acid gets a lot of pressure before birth, but the baby also needs iron and it can “steal” from the mother’s reserves. Moreover, many women lose a significant amount of blood during childbirth, which can reduce the amount of iron. If you are pregnant with more than one baby or have had close pregnancies, or have regular vomiting in the morning, you may need to add iron intake.
13. You have inactive thyroid
Iron deficiency slows down thyroid function in your body and blocks its effects on increasing metabolism. Hypothyroidism is often not caught, six in 10 people with thyroid disease do not know they have it, so when you notice low energy levels or even low body temperature or weight gain, talk to your doctor.
14. Your tongue looks weird
In addition to taking color out of your tongue, low amounts of iron can reduce myoglobin levels, a protein in red blood cells that supports muscle health, such as the muscles that make up the tongue. As a result, many people who are iron deficient complain of a sore, inflamed, and surprisingly smooth tongue.
15. You have duodenal disease or inflammatory bowel disease
Even if you get enough iron in your diet, duodenal disease and inflammatory bowel disease can lead to food absorption problems, including iron. These diseases cause inflammation and damage to the digestive tract. If you have been examined and diagnosed with any of these gastrointestinal conditions, talk to your doctor about how you can increase your iron absorption.
