#iron deficiency symptoms

[healthmonastery]

Iron Deficiency - Causes, Symptoms, and How to Fight Back

In the grand theater of health, iron plays a leading role, but its importance often goes unnoticed until the curtains rise on an unexpected villain: iron deficiency. This common concern affects millions worldwide, sapping energy and dimming vitality. But fear not, for in this spotlight, we’ll uncover the causes, symptoms, and arm you with the knowledge to triumph over iron deficiency. The Iron…

[trendingarticles]

Can Iron Deficiency Cause Hair Loss? All You Need to Know

Table of Contents Introduction What is Iron Deficiency? What is Hair Loss? What is the Relationship Between Iron Deficiency and Hair Loss? Types of Hair Loss Caused by Iron Deficiency Symptoms of Iron Deficiency-Related Hair Loss Causes of Iron Deficiency-Related Hair Loss The role of other nutrients in hair health, such as zinc, biotin, and vitamin Balanced Nutrition for Optimal Hair…

[thatonegaybrit]

; wanna work out because muscles, but can't work out because muscles

[grimweathers]

cooking is enough of a chore for me as it is, but now that i'm trying to add more iron into my diet it takes so much MORE brainpower and i hate it SO MUCH!!!!! what do you mean i have to look up recipes and think about what tastes good with specific ingredients........

[melancholyfleurs]

had bloodwork done on friday and my doctor called this morning. turns out the mood and physical health changes they blamed on depression is actually a severe b12 and iron deficiency which has probably been long standing and caused permanent damage😀

anyways this has been a PSA that if u feel like something is off but no one will listen u are probably right and the doctors should listen and do tests !!!! don’t let them brush u off

[cyeayt]

Back on my bullshit answer my questions

while doing some rudimentary research for this poll it has come to my attention that pins and needles are a feeling felt while the limb is asleep, not the period of intense sensation/tingling/sensitivity experienced while it comes back online. or maybe it's both? the stuff i read referred to it as tingling that happens while the limb is pinned/under pressure/numb. i cannot find anything that references what i have come to think of as "the agony" but ive referred to it as the pins and needles in the options for this poll anyway.

Mild: limb has muted sensation but can be moved and used carefully, pins and needles begin almost immediately after limb is moved from whatever position caused it to fall asleep. Pins and needles not painful and do not appear painful, and last a few seconds, person affected is capable of speech and moving other parts of their body during pins and needles, which last a few seconds.

Middle intensity: limb is numb or partially numb and can twitch but not be moved precisely. Pins and needles begin a few seconds after limb is unpinned or when it is moved. Pins and needles not painful but intense and appear uncomfortable, taking a lot of the affected person's attention/capacity. they last between 5 and 7 seconds.

Intense: limb is numb and cannot move/be used, pins and needles begin 5-7 seconds after the limb is unpinned. pins and needles are intense and may be painful or not painful but 'unbearable', causing the affected person to cry out, grimace, or otherwise appear to be in pain. Person cannot speak or move their other limbs during pins and needles, which last 10 or more seconds (without shaking) and have residual tingling for a few seconds after limb regains movement/becomes bearable to move

obviously this all depends on how long the limb was pinned but just answer whichever is the most common for you, and if you want you can put in the tags what positions make your limbs go numb/how you deal.

[pandalandalopalis]

bit TMI but i feel like this is important information for my followers that menstruate---

if you have a heavy flow AND feel that you’re experiencing ADHD-like symptoms and think you may have ADHD, you may be iron deficient and anemic.

iron deficiency / anemia causes symptoms such as inattentiveness and forgetfulness.

i was full-on convinced that i had ADHD because i had those symptoms along with fatigue. so i finally contacted my doctor about it because i could NOT focus and i was constantly forgetting things and getting distracted.

turns out i am iron deficient and anemic.

now, this won’t apply to everyone, but it’s definitely something to consider if you’re having symptoms of ADHD + a heavy period flow. 

please please please contact your doctor if you’re having these symptoms. my doctor said she was glad that i called because it could have gotten a lot worse.

OH ADDITIONALLY

a symptom of ADHD i see a lot is that coffee makes ADHD people sleepy. apparently, caffeine interferes with the absorption of iron. if you are iron deficient, coffee may make you sleepy (i know when i have a second coffee in a day, i get really fatigued).

[im-sorry-what-ii]

Might be taking a minor step back from fandom rn, life is currently attacking from all sides and it's not a happy situation

[alucardsinep]

>put reminder on phone that doesnt go away until i have taken my meds >go to make coffee to take meds with >get distracted by cleaning my desk watching jerma and studying for the calculus test thats in two hours >forget my phone even exists never mind looking at it >their ass has NOT taken the meds! >task failed successfully

[pandaspwnz]

TLDR: went to the hospital today because I had all the symptoms of a heart attack.

Thankfully though it was not a heart attack!

Most of my symptoms were explained by my low ferritin (iron storage) levels, which the doctor described as "basically completely empty"; It's at 12 µg/L (it should be 15-120, with anything under 30 clinically considered low), and she suggested I talk to my doctor about iron supplements, and when I told her I've been taking 2 a day for 6 months she legit made this face and said "and it's still so low?"

same bestie

The low iron and ferritin doesn't explain the chest pain or extreme nausea I've been having, but I'm assuming I've maybe just caught a cold or something, and it being an added stress on my body AND just after my period is maybe why I'm feeling so much worse than normal, because I went back and checked my last 3 blood tests, and though my ferritin levels are at 12 today, they were lower the last two times: yet I still felt worse today than I did then. My iron level however is currently the lowest it's ever been at 4 µmol/L (should be between 9-34). But I had an ecg and my heart is normal, and I do have slightly high blood pressure and a high pulse (usually both are normal although last month I did also have a bp test that was a little too high) but I'm sure some of that can be attributed to the stressful situation I was in.

So most likely I'll need iron infusions because my body clearly does not absorb iron correctly (IBD, heavy periods, and being a vegetarian definitely not helping babes) and honestly I'm so fucking excited. It actually feels like there is a solution, or at least a help for why I've felt so bad for so long and only gotten worse, and it's at my fingertips. It explains so much from my daily life, the fatigue, the body pains, the headaches, the difficulty forming sentences, it could be exacerbating my ADHD (like what if my ADHD isn't actually as severe as it seems but I just have a severe iron deficiency that's impairing my cognition?), how my hands and feet are always cold, how often I feel physically weak, my brittle hair and nails, etc and like imagine if these things could get better. What a wonderful life that would be, to feel almost normal?

But yeah I was very unsure about going to the hospital because I was pretty certain it wasn’t actually a heart attack even though I had all the symptoms because I already knew I had low iron and that it can cause arrythmia (I did not know my ferritin level though), and I even felt silly when I called the emergency room to ask if I should come in, but I figured it was a better safe than sorry situation. I felt so horrible earlier in the day and almost fainted when I was out shopping with my mom, and we talked about it and agreed that if she had been the one with my symptoms, I would want her to call in and make sure she was okay, and I feel better about it now. The nurse and doctor were very kind, and nobody made me feel like I was being silly, and they agreed it was better to check one time too many than one too few.

Also, kind of a sidenote, but when I was waiting for mom to finish up at the bakery at the mall (this was before I was concerned it might be a heart attack, I didn't think about that til I came home just to clarify), I had to sit down on the floor and cover my eyes while I tried to breathe right, and this older gentleman came up and crouched down next to me and asked if I was alright. And ya'll this man had the kindest face, he looked and seemed so compassionate and genuinely concerned for my - a total stranger's - wellbeing, and I actually almost burst into tears. I told him I was okay, I just had low iron and was feeling dizzy, and he asked if he could get me anything, and he was just so unbelievably sweet. I have never in my life had that experience before, and it just, as small a gesture as it may have been, really made me feel better about humanity as a whole. I don't think I'll ever forget that man for as long as I live, and even though it was like a 20 second interaction, it really meant and means so much to me.

[scribbyizhere]

huh. that was not in my calculations.

[muninnhuginn]

12, 22, 30!!! ❤️

Thanks for asking!

12. what’s some good advice you want to share?

Thought I'd go for something I've been trying to hold myself to personally here. I have no idea if this is particularly applicable to others to the same extent it is to me, but eh. Basically, it's incredibly easy sometimes to get fixated on your own mistakes, to try and mull over how you could have done things differently, to try and examine from all angles how it went wrong. The "what if"s essentially. And, don't get me wrong, you can often learn lessons from previous mistakes. And it can be healthy to vent or wallow occasionally. But oftentimes, it's just an excuse to wind yourself up further over what you could have done. To trip over yourself in guilt rather than looking at the present, which then just means you end up making the same mistakes -> why did I do that, I should know better -> rinse, repeat. So, if you're stuck on what-if scenarios and it's a case where you're not actually getting anything constructive out of it. (Namely, stuff like if you need to give an apology, if it's better to just leave it be, what you intend to do in a similar scenario if it arises, etc) If all it's achieving is making yourself feel worse? Stop. Just literally stop ruminating over it. And I know it's a lot easier to say that than *do* it, but the key thing is to catch yourself when you're doing the spiralling thing and just acknowledge that that's what's going on. Then try and move on. But at the same time, if you're not able to shut it off immediately, don't beat yourself up over it. Just recognising when you're in that zone is progress in of itself.

22. say 3 things about someone you love

This is more "loved" than "love" but I say it counts. So, my cat. - When it got cold in the winter and I was working from home, she would always come and sit on my lap and let me stroke her whilst I was doing stuff. Sometimes, she would get onto my lap by peeking up through the shelf intended for a printer and other times she would go straight over the desk. We had a system where when she wanted to leave, I'd spin the chair over to the bed and she'd walk from the desk over my lap to the bed to curl up and sleep. - One year, we got her a cat 'Christmas stocking'. It had a load of different things in it, but most importantly, it had these cat treats she really enjoyed. Unfortunately, we didn't realise she would be able to sus out what it was, so one day we got home and found the whole thing ripped open and scattered across the sides. After that, we made sure to hide any presents for her very carefully. - The only one of her toy type things we got her that she would actually use was the scratching post. If something had catnip in she'd get all big-eyed over it (which, no surprise, led to scratches), but anything else she'd just plain ignore. She was picky like that. I miss her.

30. what’s one thing that never fails to make you happy/happier?

I don't actually have any cheat code for this one. No guarantees so much as mitigations, but let's see. Hm. I think getting away from home for a bit is a big one. Just to change the environment up really (this applies doubly in autumn/winter when the weather and short days mean I spend most of my time inside). I'll often go find a nearby place that does hot chocolate and go sit there for a bit, listening to music if it's on in there or bringing my headphones along. If I've thought ahead I'll bring something to read as well. If the weather is nice there are some local areas to explore as well and some places that are fairly quiet. In the summer, you can head to the nearby graveyard and there's this abandoned chapel type building (unfortunately you can't get into it but you can go around it :<) and loads of crows and squirrels. I also as a general kinda happy thing rather than a cheering up kinda deal tend to like watching stuff with friends.

[amberwellnessgroup]

Unveiling Iron Deficiency: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Iron, a vital mineral, plays a pivotal role in maintaining our overall health and vitality. It’s an essential component of hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body including the brain and muscles. Iron also plays a role in converting sugar to energy, boosting the immune system, aiding in cognitive function, and supporting healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Iron deficiency is a prevalent condition that can lead to a whole host of symptoms. Some of these symptoms are well known – heart palpitations, fatigue, weakened immunity, shortness of breath and weakness. Other symptoms can include anxiety and low mood, restless leg syndrome, and cognitive changes. There are so many factors that contribute to our health, but it is important to make sure that nutrient deficiencies are not contributing to your overall symptom picture. Iron deficiency is a big one to watch out for especially in menstruating individuals. Blood testing for a CBC and ferritin are easy and affordable and should always be part of your routine examination.

Causes

Iron deficiency can arise from several factors including inadequate dietary intake, poor absorption, increased demand during growth or pregnancy, blood loss such as menstruation, or genetic causes.

Sometimes we struggle to get enough iron in the diet – maybe it is due to dietary restrictions or just a busy schedule; this combined with inadequate absorption can make it challenging to maintain the levels of iron that the body needs. GI absorption can be affected by a number a factors – SIBO, leaky gut, gut inflammation, IBD, IBS, stress (the list goes on)! Working on gut health is always a priority for laying a strong foundation for health, but this can take time and sometimes we need to shift our treatment approaches to best support the immediate needs.

Blood loss from menstruation is a major contributor to iron deficiency in women. It can feel like an uphill battle to build up iron stores with oral supplements and unfortunately the body will tend to have heavier periods of bleeding when we are low in iron! Additionally, some individuals may inherit traits that make them more prone to iron deficiency making it even more challenging to maintain the iron that your body needs.

Treatments

Oral iron supplementation is a necessary part of ongoing treatment for many. Oral Iron comes in a wide variety of forms and the main side effect reported with use is digestive upset, namely constipation. Vitamin C can help to offset this effect as it is a natural laxative and Vitamin C additionally helps iron to absorb.

The bisglycenate form is known for being the gentlest and least likely to have this effect, though some find that a plant-based iron is the only thing they can tolerate orally. Most find that if they split their dose up and take it throughout the day, the side effects are much more tolerable. It is best to talk with your physician to decide with option and dosing is best for you and your body.

B12 and Folate are crucial co-factors for red blood cell production so having adequate B vitamin supplementation is important in support iron deficiency and anemia as well.

Dietary Considerations

Foods high in iron include red meats (beef, lamb, pork), poultry, fish and shellfish, eggs, nuts, dried fruit, whole-meal pasta and bread, iron-fortified cereal, legumes (black beans, lentils, chickpeas), dark leafy green vegetables (spinach, broccoli), oats, tofu.

Vitamin C aids absorption (such as the supplement, or foods rich in Vitamin C, such as: apples, pomegranates, oranges, orange juice, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapefruit, kiwi and other Vitamin-C rich foods).

Cook in a cast-iron skillet, pots or pans to add extra iron to your food.

AVOID at the time of iron supplementation as these things that reduce the absorption: Dairy, calcium supplements, black tea, nuts, soda, chocolate, coffee.

Iron Infusions vs Oral Supplementation

Iron infusions bypass your digestive tract and can be helpful in those who have absorption issues or who get an upset stomach with oral supplements. Most find rapid benefit in mood, energy, brain fog and general sense of well-being when they receive a needed iron infusion.

IV iron treatment can be a game-changer for individuals struggling with iron deficiency, offering faster relief of symptoms than oral supplementation alone. Intravenous iron infusions deliver iron directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system and improving absorption rates. IV iron is great for people who struggle with constipation while taking oral iron. This method allows for faster and more effective replenishment of iron stores, leading to a rapid improvement in anemic symptoms. Treatment recommendations and frequency are made based off recent blood work including CBC, iron panel, and ferritin.

Additionally, we routinely prescribe Vitamin B injections for our patients to support the much-needed cofactors for iron absorption and red blood cell production. You can add on a B vitamin injection to your IV iron infusion, you will notice the positive effects!

Insurance companies are variable in whether they will cover an iron infusion. Typically, they will only cover these through a specialist, called a Hematologist, often within Oncology Departments. There are specific cut offs for ferritin and CBC parameters for insurance to cover these treatments, but people are often significantly symptomatic well before labs will reflect cuts offs for insurance coverage. Our clinic offers Venofer Iron Infusions prescribed by physicians, but we do not bill insurance for these services and all fees must be paid at the time of service. The benefit of doing treatments at the clinic include faster and more comfortable appointments, consultation time with your provider during the treatment, and accessibility outside of insurance coverage/ a hospital system.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you’d like more information, please contact us.

[boomerang109]

when i stop being so iron deficient am i gonna stop loving ice water so much? 😪