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1. Is iron deficiency the same thing as anemia? What are the symptoms?
2. What are signs of iron overload in my system?
3. What foods contain the most iron?
4. Who needs iron supplements?
5. Does anemia due to iron deficiency happen quickly or does it take a long time?
6. Does donating blood affect my iron levels?
1. Is iron deficiency the same thing as anemia? What are the symptoms?
Iron deficiency refers to a decrease in storage iron, while anemia refers to a drop in the amount of hemoglobin in blood. It takes at least several weeks after iron stores are depleted for anemia to develop. Early iron deficiency usually causes no effects at all. If a person is otherwise healthy, symptoms seldom appear before the hemoglobin in your blood drops below a certain level (10 g per deciliter). Some signs that your body is low in iron include tiredness and heart palpitations.
As your iron continues to be depleted, you may have shortness of breath and dizziness. If the anemia is severe, angina (chest pain), headache, and leg pains may occur. Children may have learning (cognitive) disabilities. Besides the general symptoms of anemia, there are certain symptoms that are characteristic of iron deficiency. These include pica (cravings for specific substances, such as licorice, chalk, dirt, or clay), a burning sensation in the tongue or a smooth tongue, sores at the corners of the mouth, and spoon-shaped finger- and toe-nails.
2. What are signs of iron overload in my system?
The most common symptom is pain, as iron accumulates in your body, usually in your joints. Other symptoms include fatigue and lack of energy, abdominal pain, loss of sex drive, and heart problems. Some people, however, have no symptoms of this condition.
3. What foods contain the most iron?
If lab tests show that you are anemic, eating foods that contain iron, such as red meat, can help. Some good choices for an iron-rich diet include: meats, liver, eggs, green leafy vegetables (spinach, collard greens, kale), wheat germ, whole grain breads and cereals, raisins, and molasses. If you have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, or you are pregnant or breast feeding, vitamin pills or tablets are usually needed to provide extra iron. Ask your doctor about the right supplement for you.
4. Who needs iron supplements?
The people who typically need iron supplements are pregnant women and patients with documented iron deficiency.
5. Does anemia due to iron deficiency happen quickly or does it take a long time?
Iron deficiency anemia comes on gradually. When your rate of iron loss exceeds the amount of iron you absorb from the gut, iron stores are slowly used up. At this stage, ferritin will be low, but serum iron and TIBC are usually normal and there is no anemia. As iron deficiency worsens, serum iron levels fall, TIBC and transferrin rise, and anemia starts to develop. With prolonged or severe iron deficiency, the red cells become small and pale.
6. Does donating blood affect my iron levels?
Yes. Every time you donate a pint of blood, your body loses about 250 mg of iron. The level of serum ferritin, which is a reflection of the total amount of storage iron, drops with each donation. The more blood you donate, the lower the ferritin becomes. Other tests, such as serum iron and TIBC, are not as affected by blood donation.
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