Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Minerals are one of the 6 components of a balanced diet. Iron is an essential element in minerals. Most people in our country are deficient in iron. This problem is more common in women

According to one statistic, about 61 million adolescents worldwide suffer from anemia. One of the main causes of anemia is lack of iron in the body. In developed countries like Canada, iron deficiency has been found in about 8% of women.

Symptoms of iron deficiency

When there is a lack of iron in the body, some symptoms of iron deficiency appear. You can use these symptoms to find out if you have iron deficiency.

Anemia

One of the components of blood is hemoglobin. You probably know what hemoglobin is and how it works. Hemoglobin plays an important role in transporting oxygen, carbon dioxide and other nutrients to our body.

About 70% of the body's iron is used to make hemoglobin. Iron deficiency also interferes with hemoglobin production. This results in hemoglobin deficiency and subsequent anemia.

Irregular heartbeat

When there is a lack of oxygen in the blood, the heart tries to supply the body with the oxygen it needs. At this time the heart starts pumping more and more. The pumping speed is sometimes low, sometimes high. The result is irregular heartbeat. This vibration can be felt even with the hand on the chest. There may also be other incidents, such as-

• Very fast heartbeat.
• Chest throbbing.
• Increase in heart size.
• Heart failure.
• These symptoms can be caused by a lack of oxygen due to iron deficiency.
• Feeling unusually tired

Oxygen acts as fuel for the body. When hemoglobin decreases due to lack of iron, the flow of oxygen in the body decreases. Lack of oxygen reduces the ability of cells and other tissues to function. As a result, the body gets tired with a little effort.

We feel tired in our daily activities. Due to which it is difficult to differentiate between iron deficiency fatigue and normal work fatigue.

Pale skin

This is one of the symptoms of iron deficiency. Iron deficiency causes the skin to fade. These symptoms appear in different parts of the body. E.g.-

• Face
• Dental gums
• The inner part of the lower eyelid
• Nails etc.

When the amount of blood decreases due to lack of iron, the redness of the blood becomes pale. As a result, the skin of the body looks pale.

Frequent headaches

The brain is an important part of the body. Iron deficiency anemia reduces the supply of oxygen to the brain. The blood vessels in the brain begin to dilate as a reflex action to get oxygen.

Symptoms include frequent headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Although there are many ways to get rid of headaches quickly, iron deficiency should be taken care of.

Breathing becomes faster

When hemoglobin is reduced due to lack of iron, less oxygen reaches the blood. At this time the breathing becomes faster than normal. As is the case with many people, breathing cannot be held for long.

Also the heartbeat tends to be faster. The patient feels discomfort and fatigue.

Pale tongue

In the absence of myoglobin, the color of the tongue becomes pale. Myoglobin is a type of protein whose structural components include iron. As iron decreases, so does myoglobin.

• Iron deficiency also causes some other symptoms on the tongue, such as-
• Swelling of the tongue.
• Wounds on the tongue.
• Sore spot
• Whitening
• The tongue becomes strangely smooth, and so on.
• Wounds in the face
• Iron deficiency can be understood by looking at some features around the face and mouth. E.g.-
• Dry mouth.
• Wounds in different parts of the face.
• Burning on the inside of the tongue and cheeks.
• Redness on both sides or corners of the face.
• Imbalance of the legs while walking

According to John Hopkins Medicine, about 15% of patients with unbalanced feet suffer from iron deficiency.

A hormone called dopamine helps maintain balance in our body. Iron deficiency reduces the secretion of dopamine. As a result, the balance of the legs is not right.

Excessive hair fall

It is normal to lose 80 to 100 hairs every day. Hair loss is one of the symptoms of iron deficiency. Also, iron deficiency can cause some more symptoms in the hair. E.g.-

• Softening of the hair follicles.
• Rough hair.
• Hair breakage even after regular care.
• Loss of hair shine.
• Hair becoming straw colored, etc.
• Period and gestational weakness

Excessive bleeding during periods releases folic acid and iron from the body. Excessive bleeding is called menorrhagia in medical parlance.

On the other hand, during pregnancy, the fetus carries iron from the mother. As a result, iron deficiency occurs in the mother's body.

Iron deficiency during extra periods and pregnancy can lead to other symptoms including weakness due to its deficiency in the body.

Iron deficiency thyroid problems

Iron deficiency in the body exacerbates thyroid problems. Hormones secreted by the thyroid take part in important functions of the body. If it does not work properly, some symptoms appear in the body. E.g.-

• The ability to work decreases day by day.
• The body temperature decreases.
• Weight gain.
• Pain is felt in the body without any reason etc.
• Breaking nails

This symptom is not seen very often. 5% of people suffering from iron deficiency have problems with cracked nails and broken nails. Many times the middle part of the nail is sloping and the two sides are raised. It looks a lot like a spoon.

Digestive problems

Iron deficiency occurs in the body when there is not the right amount of iron in the daily diet. Iron deficiency is equivalent to food processing Yes. As a result, symptoms like abdominal pain, indigestion, malnutrition etc. appear. So, put the 10 foods that contain the most iron on your daily diet.

Suffering from depression

Sometimes a person does not find the cause of his frustration. One of the symptoms of iron deficiency is depression. At this time the person suffers from indifference for unknown reasons, feels bored, feels physical weakness.

The desire to eat inedible things

Iron deficiency causes a person to show interest in eating inedible items. This strange symptom is especially seen in infants and pregnant women.

At this time the sick person becomes addicted to eating inedible items like soil, chalk powder, mud, dirt, paper etc. This strange condition is called Pica in medical language.

Some more symptoms of iron deficiency

I learned many symptoms of iron deficiency. In addition to the above symptoms, some other symptoms may be seen. E.g.-

• Feeling restless
• Decreased endurance
• Irritable mood
• Feeling weak in muscles and other limbs
• Decreased immunity of the body
• Decreased memory capacity
• Decreased fetal brain development
• Cold hands and feet

Last word

Iron deficiency in the body can not be neglected in any way. The doctor should be contacted as soon as possible. Prolonged iron deficiency can lead to major damage. Iron deficiency can be easily overcome if there is a balanced and iron-rich diet in the diet.