Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia

In iron-deficiency anemia, the number and size of red blood cells decrease and the amount of hemoglobin decreases also. Iron is used to produce red blood cells, which supply oxygen to the body. If the number of red cells is low, the organs will not receive enough oxygen. There are several types of anemia and they are all different from each other. The most common among them is iron deficiency anemia.

Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia

In some cases, this type of anemia has no pronounced symptoms. The severity of the symptoms depends on how quickly the anemia develops. Symptoms may appear immediately or later, depending on the cause of the anemia.

Common symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are:

• Tiredness and lack of energy;
• Shortness of breath;
• Noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations);
• Pale skin.

Less common symptoms are:

• A headache;
• Tinnitus (hearing ringing, buzzing or hissing noises inside your head);
• Feeling  itchy;
• A sore tongue;
• Hair loss;
• Desire to eat ice, paper and glue (pica);
• Finding it hard to swallow (dysphagia);
• Painful open sores (ulcers) in the corners of your mouth;
• Spoon-shaped nails.

When should you see your doctor?

If you have any of the above symptoms, make sure you see your physician, As a result of a blood test, he or she will easily diagnose you with iron deficiency anemia.

Causes of iron deficiency anemia

In iron deficiency anemia, there is not enough iron in the body, leading to a decrease in red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body.

Several factors can cause iron deficiency:

• Menstruation in women - in women of reproductive age, menstruation is the most common cause of iron deficiency. Mostly, women with heavy menstruation develop iron deficiency anemia;
• Pregnancy is one of the major causes of iron deficiency. In some cases treatment with iron tablets and increasing iron in the diet is necessary;
• Chronic kidney failure - people suffering from chronic kidney failure often develop iron deficiency anemia;
• Myeloid disease - anemia can be associated with the myeloid disease;
• Bleeding in the digestive system - one of the main causes of iron deficiency anemia in men and women (postmenopausal) is bleeding in the digestive system. Mostly, it cannot be detected in stool.  

Bleeding can  be caused by:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - ibuprofen and aspirin can cause stomach bleeding. If your doctor suspects that NSAIDs are the cause of the bleeding, he or she will likely switch you to a less toxic medication;

Stomach ulcers - sometimes stomach acid damages the mucosa of the stomach and forms an ulcer. An ulcer may cause bleeding from the stomach, leading to anemia. Bleeding may also cause vomiting and a change in stool color;

Digestive system cancer - cancer of the bowel  or stomach can  cause bleeding;

Angiodysplasia - bleeding from the digestive system may be caused by angiodysplasia. This is when abnormal blood vessels form in the system, causing anemia.

Diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia

If you have symptoms of anemia, be sure to consult your doctor.

Blood test - to diagnose iron deficiency anemia, a general blood test is performed, and blood is taken from a vein.

If you have anemia:

• Your hemoglobin level will be lower than normal;
• You will have a low number of red blood cells;
• Red blood cells will be paler and smaller in size.

Ferritin test – ferritin is a protein that stores iron. If the ferritin level is low, it means low iron storage, which is associated with iron deficiency anemia.

Treatment of iron deficiency anemia

Treatment of iron deficiency anemia mainly involves taking iron-containing pills and increasing the iron content in food.

Iron-containing pills

Iron-containing pills often cause side effects, so it is preferable to take them after meals. If the medicine proves too toxic, iron injections will be prescribed instead of iron tablets.

Storage of iron pills

The medication should be stored out of the reach of children. Large doses of iron cause death in children.

Proper diet for  anemia

Eat foods that are high in  iron:

• Black and green leafy vegetables;
• Wheat rich in iron;
• Brown rice;
• Legumes;
• Nuts (peanuts);
• Meat, fish and tofu;
• Eggs;
• Dry fruits: apricots, plums and sultanas;
• You should also eat food that contains vitamin C, it helps the body absorb iron.

Some foods and beverages interfere with iron absorption:

• Coffee, tea;
• Calcium in large amounts in milk;
• Antacids and proton pump inhibitors, which are sometimes used to treat the digestive system;
• Cereals – it is a good source of iron, but it also contains phytic acid, which prevents the body from absorbing iron..

If you find it difficult to choose foods, you can consult a nutritionist who can help you consume the right amount and content of food.

Treatment of  the underlying cause of the anemia

It is important to treat the underlying cause to prevent recurrent anemia. For example, if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause stomach bleeding, the doctor will replace them with other, less harmful drugs.

Anemia monitoring

A few weeks after starting treatment, your physician will again schedule you for a consultation and blood tests, based on the results of which iron treatment will be monitored. If the blood test results show improvement, the treatment will be continued, but this time the doctor's consultation will be scheduled after 2 months. When the level of hemoglobin and iron in the blood reaches normal, maintenance treatment is prescribed only as needed.

If the treatment is ineffective

If the level of hemoglobin in the blood does not increase with proper medication, the doctor will refer you for additional tests to rule out other causes.

Complications of iron deficiency anemia

Iron-deficiency anemia rarely causes serious or long-term complications, although these complications have a negative impact on a person's daily life.

Common  complications are:

• Fatigue - iron deficiency can cause fatigue, resulting in decreased levels of both physical and mental activity;
• Increased risk of infection - studies have shown that iron deficiency anemia weakens the immune system, which increases the risk of infection;
• Heart and lung problems - severe anemia can cause heart and lung problems. Heart problems include tachycardia and heart failure;
• Complications of pregnancy - anemia in pregnant women may cause additional complications. Both before and after the birth of the baby, it leads to the development of postpartum depression (a condition experienced by the mother after the birth of the baby);

• Restless leg syndrome - restless leg syndrome can be caused by iron deficiency anemia.