Iron deficiency anemia

If or when a person is diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, it actually means that the blood of the person in question does not have enough healthy red blood cells, which are responsible for transmission of oxygen, as well as for the energy. It is easy to conclude that the main reason for this type of anemia is lack of iron, which results in the body’s inability to create sufficient amounts of hemoglobin. Since red blood cells have the ability to carry oxygen due to hemoglobin, when they cannot perform entirely their function, the person usually looks pale and feels tired and not strong enough. There is a number of other symptoms that might appear as well and among them are dizziness, headache, brittle nails and arrhythmia, although in milder cases there might be no symptoms at all. Still, some of the most unusual signs of iron deficiency refer to the person’s cravings for dirt, starch, or some other substances without any nutritive value.

It is particularly important to pay attention to the symptoms in cases of children, and as soon as suspicion arises, the doctor should be consulted because this health issue cannot be diagnosed without blood test. This also means that mothers should not give their children iron supplements if they become suspicious, and the same rule should apply to adults as well. Those who are at higher risk of developing iron deficiency anemia are those who lose a lot of blood for some reason, those who do not consume food rich in this nutrient, those who suffer from some disorder which affects the ability of the intestine to absorb iron among other nutrients from food and pregnant women.

What can be done to cure iron deficiency anemia?

It is needless to say that the real cause should be determined in order to conduct a proper treatment. Since the most common cause is poor diet, it is usually enough to introduce some changes in the diet, or to begin to use nutritional supplements that contain iron. It might be helpful to know that if iron is taken vitamin C, this vitamin will improve its absorption. However, the change of the diet will not make any changes if some underlying condition is the cause of the problem. In such cases, the focus should be on the treatment of the underlying cause.