What Happens When The Body Lacks In Iron

Listed here are a few of the health problems that can arise when the body lacks in iron.

Saturday, March 4, 2017, 14:11

Iron is a mineral that plays an important role in your well-being. Iron deficiency is the most common reason of anaemia, especially among pregnant ladies and girls of reproductive age. Since the symptoms of iron deficiency are not prominent in the beginning, it is difficult to diagnose the problem at the early stages. Even when there are some notable symptoms, we may ignore it as common signs of tiredness or fatigue.

Generally, iron deficiency is detected during routine blood checkup for haemoglobin. Knowing what happens when body lacks iron is very important to keep yourself healthy and fit. Symptoms of iron deficiency can vary from person to person depending on the severity. When your body loses iron, the flow of oxygen to the body tissues will be affected adversely.

Iron is important for the production of haemoglobin, which is the carrier of oxygen in our body. Most of the symptoms of iron deficiency or anaemia are related to lack of oxygen. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the recommended daily dietary allowance for iron for 19-to-50-year-old women is 18 milligrams.

In this article, let's have a detailed discussion on some symptoms of iron deficiency.

Hair Loss:

Are you losing more than 100 strands of hair a day? Then it can be one of the symptoms of iron deficiency. When the hair follicle lacks oxygen, it will affect the normal process of hair formation and growth. This will result in unusual hair fall.

Frequent Infections:

Iron plays an important role to keep your immune system healthy. Lower level of this mineral will increase your chance of getting frequent infections. Sufficient oxygen supply to the spleen is important to maintain a healthy immune system.

Headaches:

Generally people with iron deficiency may have frequent headaches. As the body lacks the mineral iron, it lowers blood flow to the tissues. This will cause headaches and dizziness when the circulation is affected.

Pale Skin:

Pale skin is the most prominent symptom of iron deficiency that will warn you about the shortage of iron. Expert doctors can diagnose iron deficiency by checking your skin, tongue and eyes.

Restless Leg Syndrome:

A person who lacks iron has more chance to have restless leg syndrome. This is a disorder which causes fidgeting and around 20% people who has restless leg syndrome are found to have iron deficiency.

Craving For Some Food:

Yes, craving of some odd things like clay, dirt, ice, chalk or rice commonly associate with symptoms of iron deficiency. This is called pica. Usually this is not seen in the beginning stages of the deficiency and it's not very common.

Swollen Tongue:

Oxygen deprivation causes muscles to enlarge and this is clearly visible on your tongue. Lack of iron will reduce levels of myoglobin, which supports muscle. This will cause cracks on the side of the mouth as well.

Brittle Nails:

Brittle nails are considered to be one of the specific symptoms of iron deficiency. Before heading to your salon for a better manicure, consult a doctor to find the cause of weak nails.

Knowing the most common symptoms of iron deficiency is very important, so that you can consult a medical expert at the earliest.