Signs of iron deficiency: How to know your Haemoglobin is low and that you must see a doctor

16-03-2021

Our body needs all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the correct proportion. One nutrient that is easy to acquire through food but deficient in most Indians is Iron. Iron deficiency anaemia (also spelt as anemia) is when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. Why do we require iron? You need iron to make hemoglobin, a protein that helps your red blood cells carry oxygen. Red blood cells are rich in oxygen that is acquired and absorbed from our lungs. These RBCs take this oxygen to the rest of our body. Every cell in our body needs enough oxygen that it gets from the blood. When there is not enough oxygen, we feel tired, weak, and short of breath. When our body lacks the iron that is so vital to make the hemoglobin, a protein that helps your red blood cells carry oxygen, naturally the RBCs cannot absorb enough O2 from the lungs.

Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia:
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Mild iron deficiency anemia often isn't noticeable. When it gets more severe, you may have some or all of these symptoms:

Fatigue
Weakness
Pale or yellowish skin
Irregular heartbeats
Shortness of breath
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Chest pain, muscle ache
Cold hands and feet, extremities like ears, nose etc
Brittle, cracked nails, spoon-shaped nails, hairfall
Cracks near the side of your mouth
Sore and swollen tongue
Restless legs syndrome (an urge to move your legs while you’re in bed)

What happens if iron deficiency anaemia is untreated:
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Various illnesses can strike as your immunity dips.
One can suffer from depression.
The immune system gets weakened.
The risk of infection is elevated.
Pregnant women can suffer preterm delivery.
Babies can be born with low-birth-weight.
A low count of red blood cells puts more pumping strain on the heart and a person can suffer heart problems.
The low iron count can cause delay developmental milestones in children.

Your doctor might run a few blood tests to find out why your iron is low. Your doctor will recommend a dose based on your iron levels. Taking vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. Usually, doctors treat iron deficiency anemia with supplements. Once your iron levels go up, you should start to feel better. Do not self-medicate or increase or decrease the dose on your own. You might need to take iron supplements for a few months or more to get your levels to normal. Iron supplements can cause various reactions in some people. They range from constipation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, to dark-coloured poop. Apart from supplements, you can enrich the iron levels in your blood by eating right. The ones in this food list (such as dry fruits, peas, etc) that you can eat raw, you must try and eat it that way so that the iron loss is minimal. Meat, poultry, etc will naturally have to be cooked well.

Foods with high iron-content:
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Chicken, turkey, duck, and shellfish
Red meat, pork, and poultry
Dark, leafy greens such as broccoli, spinach, kale
Peas, and beans of all kinds
Iron-fortified cereals and other grains
Dried fruits, such as peaches, prunes, apricots, figs, and raisins
Seafood like shellfish, clams, oysters, and mussels