Iron Deficiency Anemia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Definition
What is iron deficiency anemia?
Iron deficiency anemia (iron deficiency anemia) is a type of anemia that occurs due to iron deficiency in the body.
Iron is an essential nutrient that the body needs to produce enough healthy red blood cells. Your body cannot produce iron naturally. That is why you need to get iron intake from food or supplements.
Iron that is too low makes you experience several health problems, one of which is iron deficiency anemia.
How common is this condition?
Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common types of anemia and is easy to treat. This condition is most vulnerable to adolescents and pregnant women.
People who experience severe bleeding, such as from accidents, are also prone to developing this condition.
Signs & symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of iron deficiency anemia?
Depending on the cause, different types of anemia can cause a number of specific symptoms. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, the most common signs and symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are:
- Fatigue
- Looks weak, lethargic and powerless
- Hard to breathe
- Pale skin
- Chest pain due to a fast heartbeat
- Headache or dizziness
- Cold hands and feet
- Inflammation or pain of your tongue
- Nails become brittle
- Cravings for strange foods, for example wanting to eat like ice cubes
- Poor appetite, especially in infants and children with iron deficiency anemia
There may be some signs or symptoms that are not listed. If you have any concerns regarding symptoms, please consult your doctor.
When should I see a doctor?
If you experience any of the above signs or symptoms of iron deficiency anemia or have any questions, it’s best to contact your doctor.
You should not take iron supplements carelessly before consulting a doctor. Too much iron can make the liver work harder and risk causing other fatal complications.
Excessive excess iron stores can increase your risk of a condition called hemochromatosis.
Cause
What causes iron deficiency anemia?
Different types, different underlying causes of anemia. The cause of iron deficiency anemia is a lack of iron in the body to produce hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that gives blood its red color. Hemoglobin also carries oxygen throughout the body so you can do your activities properly.
Iron plays a role in the formation of hemoglobin. If iron in the body is lacking, the ability to produce hemoglobin is also reduced.
Not only lack of iron intake, deficiency anemia can also occur if the body’s ability to absorb iron has decreased. Trauma or accidents that cause you to lose a lot of blood can also deplete iron stores in the body.
Risk factors
What are the risk factors for iron deficiency anemia?
The following are factors that can increase your risk of developing iron deficiency anemia:
1. Lack of blood
Lack of blood is one of the factors causing iron deficiency anemia. There are several conditions that can cause blood deficiency, including:
- Long menstruation in women
- Accident or trauma
2. Lack of iron intake
Lack of eating foods containing iron can also cause anemia.
Lack of iron intake is generally common in those who live a vegetarian lifestyle. To fix this, vegetarians can take iron supplements.
Consumption of foods that contain iron should be followed by eating or drinking drinks rich in vitamin C.
Vitamin C is useful in helping iron absorption. This means that vitamin C can help treat anemia.
3. The body is unable to absorb iron
Ulcers (sores) in the stomach or cancer of the digestive tract are conditions that can cause iron deficiency anemia. Some of these conditions can cause gastrointestinal (digestive tract) bleeding.
This bleeding can reduce the level of iron in your blood. These types of blood deficiency are difficult to detect and the process takes a long time.
Even when you have eaten foods rich in iron, there is a chance that your body may not absorb it.
Not only that, drugs to reduce stomach acid can affect the absorption of iron in your body.
Surgery to remove certain parts of the intestine can reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron and other nutrients. It can also be a symptom of other diseases such as Celiac or Crohn’s disease.
4. Pregnancy
Iron deficiency anemia is common in pregnant women. This is because the mother’s body will need more blood volume for the fetus she is carrying.
5. Other conditions
Some of the factors that increase your risk of developing iron deficiency anemia are:
- Gender: women are more likely to experience this condition due to menstruation and pregnancy.
- Age: babies and children are more likely to develop anemia if they don’t get enough iron from milk they drink. Meanwhile, teenagers may develop anemia if their bodies do not provide iron for growth.
- Certain diet, like a vegetarian.
- Blood donors: too frequent blood donations can reduce iron levels in the body.
Complications
What are the possible complications of iron deficiency anemia?
Serious complications from anemia can also arise if this condition is not handled properly. serious if not handled properly. Some of the common risks of complications from iron deficiency anemia are:
1. Heart problems
Iron deficiency anemia can cause the heart to beat faster than normal or have irregular strokes.
Your heart has to pump more blood to compensate for the lack of oxygen carried in your blood if you have anemia. This can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure. Therefore, adequate iron intake is important for heart health.
2. Problems during pregnancy
Iron deficiency anemia is a condition that is prone to occur during pregnancy. Untreated anemia during pregnancy can increase the risk of preterm labor and low birth weight babies.
However, this condition can be prevented in pregnant women who are diligent in eating healthy foods containing iron. Pregnant women can also take pregnancy supplements to meet the nutritional needs of their babies.
3. Growth problems
Iron deficient babies and children can develop anemia. Anemia at an early age can disrupt the development process of children. In addition, iron deficiency anemia can make children susceptible to infection.
Diagnosis
What are the usual tests to diagnose this condition?
In addition to seeing the symptoms you show, your doctor may order several tests to diagnose anemia with certainty, such as:
1. Check the size and color of red blood cells
This test measures the content of red blood cells in the blood. Normal red blood cell levels are between 34.9 and 33.5% for adult women and 38.8-50% for adult men. This figure can change depending on the age and condition of the body of each person.
2. Measure hemoglobin
If you are found to have low hemoglobin levels, you may have anemia. The range of normal hemoglobin in general ranges from 13.5-17.5 g / dL for men and 12.0-15.5 g / dL for women. This figure can change depending on gender and age.
3. Measure ferritin
Iron is stored in ferritin, a type of protein in your body. Low ferritin levels mean you have lower iron levels than normal people.
Other additional tests to diagnose iron deficiency anemia
Iron deficiency anemia is a condition that can also be diagnosed using additional tests, such as:
1. Endoscopy
Digestive problems can be one of the causes of iron deficiency anemia. That is why, to check for bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, the doctor may recommend an endoscopy test.
2. Colonoscopy
To rule out bleeding in the colon, your doctor may recommend a procedure called a colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy allows the doctor to look inside or all of the colon and rectum to look for bleeding in the stomach.
3. Ultrasonography (USG)
For women, doctors may also recommend an ultrasound of the pelvis to look for causes of excessive menstrual bleeding, such as possible uterine fibroids.
Treatment
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.
How to treat iron deficiency anemia?
Doctors will provide various treatment options to treat anemia, according to the cause. The doctor will choose which method and possible outcome of treatment that is most suitable for your condition.
The following are treatment options that can treat this type of anemia:
1. Take iron supplements
Your doctor may recommend a supplement dosage based on your total iron levels. You should not take it on your own initiative without consulting a doctor.
In general, the dose of iron supplements for adults with iron deficiency anemia is around 150-200 mg per day.
The doses will usually be divided 3 times a day, each dose often around 60 mg.
2. Iron dextran intravenously
This is an iron infusion that costs the least. Before being used as medical therapy, the doctor will give a small dose of the drug that is inserted into your body. If you do not experience any allergies or reactions, you will be given a larger dose.
Sometimes anti-reaction drugs will be given before the iron is given intravenously to treat anemia. This is the form of infusion most commonly used in children.
3. Giving Ferric gluconate by infusion
Ferric gluconate is iron that can be given to your body by infusion in small doses.
This anemia drug is only given to people with iron deficiency anemia who have to undergo hemodialysis because of severe kidney disease.
4. Ferric carboxymaltose intravenously
This anemia medication is given in 1 or 2 infusions depending on the severity of your condition. This medication is safe for use in children with iron deficiency.
5. Iron sucrose
Iron sucrose is also given intravenously over a few small doses. If you are allergic to any other medicine, you may receive a small test dose first to make sure there is no reaction before receiving the rest of the drug.
This infusion of iron intake can be used in people who are undergoing dialysis or in pregnant women.
6. Other treatment
If iron supplements or infusions don’t help, it is possible that you have a source of bleeding or a problem with iron absorption. Possible treatments are given to further address the causes, such as:
- Antibiotics and other drugs to treat stomach ulcers
- Surgery to remove bleeding polyps, tumors, or fibroids
- Severe anemia may require blood transfusions
Home remedies
What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat iron deficiency anemia?
Some of the lifestyle changes and home remedies that can help treat iron deficiency anemia and prevent anemia from getting worse are:
- Follow the doctor’s prescription. Do not use other drugs or supplements outside of your doctor’s prescription.
- Take iron supplements as prescribed. Too much extra iron can be toxic to the body.
- Take a multivitamin if you are pregnant and continue if you are breastfeeding.
- Eat foods with a balanced diet, especially those high in iron, such as meat, nuts, and vegetables. If you are a vegetarian, consult a nutritionist for further recommendations.
- Pay attention to vitamin C intake
- Limit your intake of tea and soy, as they can interfere with iron absorption
If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.
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