What are the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia?
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia. The deficiency in iron causes anemia because iron is required to create a protein called hemoglobin, which is responsible for the transport of oxygen in the bloodstream. The common symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include fatigue and pale skin. More serious symptoms of this type of anemia may include enlarged spleen and increased heart rate.
Iron deficiency anemia has a number of possible causes. Low iron diet is a common cause. Anemia may even develop through high iron diet, as certain diseases or abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract may reduce the amount of iron that can be absorbed from food.
Most iron in the body is stored in hemoglobin and about one third is stored in other forms in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. With most iron stored in the blood, extreme or rapid blood loss can cause iron deficiency anemia. Gastrointestinal bleeding, traumatic injury andOccasionally very heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding everything can lead to symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.
The most common symptoms are pale skin and fatigue, and other possible symptoms include irritability, swollen tongue and spleen enlargement. Sometimes people with anemia with lack of iron have desire for unusual substances such as dirt and ice. If the heart affects anemia, symptoms may include arrhythmia, heart murmur or unusual sound of heart rhythm and even heart failure. People with iron deficiency anemia also have an increased risk of infection and tend to develop restless leg syndrome. This condition causes discomfort in the legs, accompanied by a strong desire to constantly move their feet.
Most of these symptoms of iron deficiency anemia evolve because iron deficiency leads to a decrease in hemoglobin bearing iron in the bloodstream. Reduced availability of hemoglobin means that eXists less oxygen in the blood. Reduced oxygen availability leads to fatigue and irritability and pale skin develops because oxygenated hemoglobin gives blood its dark red color. When the amount of hemoglobin is reduced, this red color is diluted.
heart problems may develop as a result of iron deficiency anemia, because the heart must draw heavier to circulate oxygen in the body. When the heart is forced to draw more harder, a faster consequence is a faster heart rhythm. Chronic anemia can lead to heart failure because further work that the heart is forced to do will eventually cause weakening.
Many symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are non -specific, which means that there are also symptoms of other health conditions. For this reason, the diagnosis of iron deficiency is confirmed by blood tests for determining iron levels in the blood. In addition, further tests could be required to determine the cause of anemia.