Iron Deficiency Anaemia

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common nutritional deficiency which occurs when your body has a low haemoglobin level than the normal.

A normal adult should have an average haemoglobin level as

• 13 g/dL in males
• 11 g/dL in females
• 15 g/dL in a baby after birth, and
• 9 g/dL in three months old baby. 

Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when there is inadequate iron intake from diet or improper iron absorption from the gut. 

Daily Iron Requirement for Human Body

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports the average daily iron intake from foods and supplements is 13.7–15.1 mg/day in children aged 2–11 years, 16.3 mg/day in children and teens aged 12–19 years, and 19.3–20.5 mg/day in men and 17.0–18.9 mg/day in women older than 19. The median dietary iron intake in pregnant women is 14.7 mg/day. 

Loss of Iron in a Day

Usually, there is a daily loss of around 1mg of iron in an adult male and a non-menstruating female during daily activities. 

0.5mg-1. 5mg iron loss in female. 

Symptoms. 

The symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia are moderate to mild. A one should lately felt that he or she may suffer from iron deficiency anaemia. 

According to the American Society of Hematology (ASH), most people don’t realize they have mild anaemia until they have a routine blood test.

• Pale skin
• Pale conductive and nails
• Fatigue
• General weakness
• Easily tired
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Strange cravings to eat items likes, such as dirt, ice, or clay, chalks. 
• A tingling or crawling feeling in the legs
• Pain in legs 
• Tongue swelling
• Mouth soreness
• Dry skin
• Dry lips
• Sunken face
• Cold hands and feet
• Irregular heartbeat
• Brittle nails
• Headaches
• Mouth ulcers
• Cracked lips

CAUSES OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA

According to the ASH reports, iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia. 

There are many causes of why a person becomes deficient in iron. The following topic highlights the most probable cause of iron deficiency anaemia. 

Inadequate Iron Intake From Regular Diet. 

Avoiding green leafy vegetables or meat eggs from your diet. Improper meal routines may be the biggest reason for inadequate iron intake. Developing countries are more prone to suffer from iron deficiency anaemia. 

In Pregnancy

In pregnancy, the iron demand for body increases for the proper development and growth of the baby. During a normal pregnancy about 750mg may be siphoned off. If several pregnancies occur at the short interval of time iron deficiency anaemia follows. 

During Menstruation

Studies have shown that approximately 10% of women lose over 1.4 mg of iron per day through menstrual bleeding. Heavy menstrual bleeding and blood loss during childbirth are the most common reasons for iron deficiency anaemia in females.

Internal bleeding

Iron deficiency anaemia occurs because of the internal loss of blood if the patient suffers from chronic stomach ulcers, colon cancer, intestine polyps, piles, parasite infections, etc. 

Drugs 

Drugs such as Aspirin causes bleeding in the internal organs of the body. Regular intake of aspirin is harmful to the human body. 

Decreased Absorption of Iron. 

Inability to absorb iron is also one of the major cause of iron deficiency anaemia. Iron absorbs in the gut, certain diseases of the gut such as celiac disease,  achlorhydria,  colon cancer are some causes. Gastric bypass surgeries can also affect the absorption of iron in gut.

INVESTIGATIONS FOR IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA

Complete Blood Cell (CBC) Test

A complete blood count (CBC) is usually is a confirmative test for iron deficiency anaemia. A CBC measures the amount of all components in the blood, including:

• Red Blood Cell (RBC) counts
• White Blood Cell (WBC) counts
• Haemoglobin level 
• Hematocrit
• Platelets
• Size of RBC
• Colour or RBC
• Ferritin level in Blood
• Total Iron binding capacity (TIBC) 

Other Tests include

For internal bleeding

• CT scan

• MRI

These are helpful to diagnose the internal bleeding inside the body. 

TREATMENT

For the correction of iron deficiency anaemia, diet plays a major role for its treatment. 

Diets must include the following foods which contain iron and Vitamin C in plenty amount to help treat or prevent iron deficiency:

• Red Meat
• Nuts
• Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, curry leaves etc. 
• Beans
• Pumpkin
•  Squash seeds
• Raisins and other dry fruits
• Eggs
• Seafood, such as clams, sardines, shrimp, and oysters
• Iron-fortified cereals

Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron.

Add food which contains Vitamin C such as

• Fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, kiwis, guavas, papayas, pineapples, melons, and mangoes. 
• Broccoli
• Red and green bell peppers
• Brussels sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Leafy greens
• Lemon

MEDICINAL TREATMENT

When your doctor diagnosed you with iron deficiency,  he would like to suggest you oral iron pills 

And underlying treatment depends upon the cause of the iron-deficiency anaemia. 

CONCLUSION

Don’t treat it by yourself, it may lead to severe health complications.

Excessive iron intake can damage your liver and lead to chronic constipation and other health issues. 

Consult your doctor and follow his advice. 

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