As many as 4-8% of premenopausal women may be iron deficient without any awareness of their situation. Iron Deficiency Anemia refers to the condition when insufficient iron exists to allow the normal process of red blood cell formation. Sideropenia refers to somewhat less severe iron deficiency without impact on blood cells.
In otherwise healthy women, inadequate iron stores generally relate to menstrual blood loss or prior pregnancy. Most of our body’s iron requirements are met by recirculation of iron recovered from old red blood cells. The average individual absorbs only about 1-2 mg irrespective of dietary intake. Cells lining the small intestine act as a control mechanism to prevent iron overload.
Absorption of iron from meat occurs with greater ease than from vegetables and supplements. Additionally non-meat iron may be further hampered by other dietary constituents such as oxalates and tannins found in coffee, tea and vegetables such as spinach.
Other common problems leading to low iron stores include loss from the gastrointestinal tract. Stomach irritation form aspirin, gastric malignancy, duodenal ulcers, intestinal polyps, colon cancer and hemorrhoids are prime examples. Blood donation, vegetarians and those with Celiac disease are at increased risk as are long distance runners.
Symptoms remain absent among the majority of iron deficient individuals. If present they typically lack specificity and include tiredness, weakness, lack of energy, intolerance of the cold and occasionally chest pain or shortness of breath on exertion. Some complain of headache, lightheadedness, depression and a sore, inflamed tongue.
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Теги
Iron deficiencyIron deficiency anemiaAnemiaPre-menopausal womenChildrenLeg crampsWeaknessFatigueNail problemsRestless leg syndromeIntestinal bleedingBlood lossHeavy periodsMenstrual blood lossMenstrual bleedingStomach ulcerColon cancerIntestinal polypAspirinHeme ironFerrous sulfateFerrous ironFerric ironBlood donationDonating bloodCow’s milkMicrocytic anemiaFerritinOxalic acidPhytic acidSpinach