One of the most common types of anemia is iron deficiency. This is a condition wherein the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells.
With insufficient iron, the body cannot create a sufficient amount of red blood cells that will help them carry oxygen, which would lead to an iron deficiency in anemia. When your body has insufficient iron to create hemoglobin, iron deficiency anemia will develop.
What causes iron deficiency anemia?
Many factors are caused by iron deficiency anemia, but it also depends on the amount of iron in your body. Iron deficiency happens when the body cannot receive sufficient iron or lose too much.
Causes can include the following:
Loss of Blood
Red blood cells have iron; if you’re losing blood, you’re losing iron. When a person loses blood rapidly, their blood pressure will go low, and it can make a person; feel tired, have shortness of breath, and paleness.
Lacking Iron in Body
Your body can usually acquire iron from the foods you eat. Not eating enough foods with iron can lead to iron deficiency.
If you have iron deficiency anemia, make sure you have a good diet. You may need to avoid; coffee, milk, tea, soy protein, and fiber. But you won’t want to reduce all fiber from your diet because using iron supplements may cause constipation in some people unless you are taking non-constipating iron supplements.
There are plenty of food choices to get iron from, like meat, vegetables, and fruits. Try getting advice from a nutritionist or dietitian.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy can cause iron deficiency anemia because they need extra iron in their body to support the development of the baby inside the womb. A pregnant woman who acquires this can cause complications with the baby. As a matter of fact, pregnant women require twice the amount of iron.
What are the symptoms?
Iron-deficiency anemia develops really slow in your body. You will not really show symptoms if it is still mild. However, if it gets worse you will most likely notice these symptoms; fatigue which is common, nausea, headaches, your body temperature decreases, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
Who are usually at risk?
Women
As mentioned above, pregnancy can cause iron deficiency anemia. But women, in general, are at risk of getting this because they lose blood when they are on their period.
Since breastfeeding is the only way for babies to obtain nutrition, it is possible that pregnant women suffering from anemia do not have enough iron in their bodies, and that their children will not receive enough iron even if they breastfeed regularly.
Babies
Babies can develop anemia because they tend to grow faster, and it takes time for the red blood cells to pick up the pace. Premature babies are most likely to be at risk because they have low red blood cells, and the life span is shorter than babies who are fully developed. Due to the lack of iron, babies may have developmental delays.
Blood Donors
People who frequently donate blood are at risk because they are losing blood in their bodies. If you regularly donate blood, make sure to take supplements and eat foods rich in iron to avoid getting iron deficiency anemia.
Vegans
Vegans eliminate meat, cheese, eggs entirely. Eating meat and poultry is thought to be an excellent way of getting iron. Vegans need more iron in their system than people who eat meat because the body can absorb more iron from meat.
However, nowadays, there are many plant-based foods rich in iron that vegans can consume.
Options like:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Soy Foods
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Peanut Butter
- Green Vegetables
- Potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Fruits
- Whole Grains
- Dark Chocolate
- Tofu
- Cereals
People who take Antiplatelets and AntiCoagulants
Some doctors prescribe blood thinners to prevent blood clots. It is also known as antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs. One example is aspirin. While these types of medicine can help patients with kidney disease, it increases the risk of hemorrhage, leading to anemia.
Treating Iron-Deficiency Anemia
It is best to consult with a doctor as to how to treat iron deficiency anemia. Before a doctor can diagnose you, you will have to take blood tests. The doctor may provide you some iron supplements and vitamins to help aid iron deficiency. But also remember that you need to eat food that can help treat or prevent it.
If you are uncertain about what types of food you can eat, it is best to consult a dietitian to provide you with a list of food you can eat.
Low levels of iron result can result in a shortage of red blood cells. Many things can cause anemia, so it is best to speak with your doctor to find out your issue.
