Iron Deficiency Symptoms in Women

Among the many types of nutritional deficiencies that can occur in the body, iron deficiency is one of them. And you must be well aware of the complication that is caused by it - anemia. As suggested by the name, this condition occurs when the body faces a dearth of iron which results in reduced hemoglobin. This very substance imparts the characteristic red color to the blood, and more important than that, enables blood to transport oxygen from the lungs to various organs and tissues, and bringing back carbon dioxide to the lungs to be exhaled. And with not enough hemoglobin, the body fails to manufacture adequate healthy red blood cells thus, giving rise to various unpleasant symptoms. The below data on the iron deficiency symptoms in women, are no different than what occur in men and in children.

What are the Sign of Iron Deficiency?

As you must have read in the opening lines of this article, the symptoms are not immediate or promptly exhibited. The iron stored in the body tends to deplete at a slow pace. As the condition starts progressing into anemia, some symptoms do start to occur. The common iron deficiency symptoms in women may include:

• One of the most common and perhaps, significant symptom which may indicate the dearth of iron in the body is a fatigue of an extreme degree. Affected people are tired most of the time, and that too without any good cause.
• Dizzy spells are also common among patients.
• Pallor signifies unnatural color of the skin. And this is one of the noticeable anemia symptoms in women.
• Then, shortness of breath, and headaches may follow.
• Whenever you touch the hands or feet of a person suffering from iron deficiency, they feet cold and clammy most of the time.
• Increased irritability, brittle nails, rapid heartbeat, and a strange and uncomfortable sensation of something crawling in the legs are some other symptoms.
• Iron deficiency and hair loss in women are known to go hand in hand. The depleting iron in the body causes the scalp hair density to lessen with time, resulting in hair fall.
• Chronic cases of iron-deficiency anemia is related to Plummer-Vinson syndrome, giving rise to symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and weakness.
• The deficiency of this nutrient also triggers the development of an unusual eating behavior which induces the urge to eat substances which are non-nutritive. Common examples include paper, dirt, clay, or starch. This disorder is known as pica.

Now that we are done with the topic of iron deficiency symptoms in women, let us touch upon the segment of what causes the condition, so that steps may be taken to avoid them.

What Causes Iron Deficiency?

Reasons could be many, and the most common of them include:

• Blood loss may be one important cause. This is more common in women, as they go through their monthly ovulation periods. Also, diseases such as peptic ulcer, colon polyp, hiatal hernia, cause chronic but slow loss of blood from the body thus, causing the same condition.
• Another obvious cause is a diet lacking in this important nutrient.
• Some people, despite having an iron-rich diet, may be unable to absorb enough of it. This may be due to diseases such as Celiac disease, which keeps the intestine from absorbing nutrients from foods sources. To add to this, a bypassed small intestine, or one that has been removed, may also be an offender.
• Pregnancy, and certain medications, are some other causes.

Treating such underlying causes, help in managing iron deficiency symptoms in women, men and kids. Factors such as diet can be rectified, by including iron-rich foods such as pork liver, oysters, chicken liver, beef, shrimp, sardines, turkey, egg, leafy green vegetables and iron-fortified foods.