Iron Deficiency Anemia
Learn about the common causes and risks associated with iron deficiency anemia.
What is iron deficiency anemia?
Iron deficiency anemia can be defined as a reduction in the number of hemoglobin carrying red blood cells in the body due to a lack of iron. A number of factors contribute to and exacerbate the effects of iron deficiency, but it is ultimately a result of the body utilizing more iron than it is provided.
What are some common causes of iron deficiency?
- Insufficient nutritional intake
- Blood loss due to menstruation or injury
- Drug interactions
- Dietary iron absorption interference
- The presence of certain diseases or disorders
Iron is a building block of hemoglobin, and a vital component of our body’s natural oxygen delivery system. Hemoglobin is an oxygen-binding protein found within red blood cells, and is responsible for the collection of oxygen molecules from the lungs for delivery throughout the body.
Maintaining good oxygenation requires iron to make hemoglobin, folic acid and B12 to make red blood cells, healthy lungs to allow oxygen exchange, and a healthy heart to pump the red blood cells where they need to go. A problem with any of these components will lead to a reduction in oxygen levels in the body. In the case of iron deficiency, this will lead to a reduction in hemoglobin levels which the body will try to compensate for by increasing the heart and respiratory rate.
What are the risks of iron deficiency?
Iron deficiency leads to a lack of oxygen within our vital organs, blood stream, and muscles.
The condition varies in severity according to the level of deficiency. Those who are chronically deficient develop iron deficiency anemia, a dangerous and possibly fatal condition especially in the presence of a cardiac, respiratory or other underlying problem.
Symptoms of iron deficiency are varied and depend upon an individual’s contributing factors.
When changing positions from sitting to standing or during periods of mild physical exertion, patients may:
- Become dizzy and blood pressure suddenly drops
- Experience an irregular or rapid and forceful heartbeat
- Experience shortness of breath
If you are experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency, it is imperative to get medical treatment as soon as possible. Your doctor may prescribe a combination of dietary adjustments and iron supplements such as FeraMAX® Pd, a Polydextrose Iron Complex (PDIC) which is proven to provide patients with symptom relief with low instances of side effects. FeraMAX® Pd is available in non-prescription form at your pharmacy. If you think you may have iron deficiency you can use our symptoms tracker. Take the results to your physician or pharmacist and ask about the benefits of iron supplementation with a PDIC such as FeraMAX® Pd, and the best course of action for your treatment.
Do you have signs of iron deficiency?
References:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Iron deficiency – United States, 1999–2000.MMWR 2002;51:897–899.
- US National Library of Medicine, NIH. Iron deficiency anemia. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ida/ida_whatis.html
