Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia is a condition of the advanced stage of iron deficiency. Anemia mostly occurs when your diet does not consist of sufficient quantities of iron which in turn prohibits the formation of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin generates the red blood cells which are responsible for transporting oxygen to all the parts of the body. But if the body is running short of red blood cells, there would not be enough oxygen supply to the other body parts and this would result in more disorders.

Iron deficiency does not occur suddenly. In fact, it develops in stages. The first stage is reduction in the iron content of the body, which leads to decreased hemoglobin level and thus less oxygen. It is in this stage that the person needs to be diagnosed for anemia and treated accordingly, but the symptoms of anemia are very mild and are often overlooked. This negligence then results in the development of iron deficiency anemia. On an international level, adult women and young children are more prone to the development of iron deficiency anemia as compared to adult men. The following discussion will help you to know the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia and therefore treat it at an early stage.

Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia
Some people suffer from mild anemia while others suffer from severe anemia. But this does not mean that the mild iron deficiency anemia symptoms are different from the severe iron deficiency anemia symptoms. They are the same; what varies is just the intensity of symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of severe iron deficiency anemia are discussed below.

Fatigue: Fatigue is the most common symptom of anemia, be it mild or severe. Fatigue is the result of lack of oxygen supply to the various body parts. Insufficient oxygen supply restricts the generation of energy in the person's body and makes him feel tired all the time.

Sleepiness: Now, sleepiness is quite obvious if a person is suffering from fatigue. This mainly happens due to lack of oxygen supply and therefore reduced energy levels.

Dizziness: Dizziness is another very common symptom of iron deficiency anemia. Dizziness is likely to occur if sufficient quantities of oxygen are not produced and your body organs do not function properly.

Shortness of Breath: Again, as oxygen is not sufficiently produced in the body, the person suffers from shortness of breath. Oxygen starvation makes breathing difficult for the patient.

Angular Cheilitis: Angular cheilitis is an inflammatory condition seen mostly at the corner of a person's mouth. Although angular cheilitis is believed to be a fungal infection, many studies have reported that iron deficiency is one of the causes for this condition.

Sleep Apnea: Sleep Apnea is a type of a sleep disorder and is associated with short sessions of breathlessness during sleep. It is quite understandable that a person who is anyway falling short of breath during the daytime can experience the same during the night as well, as the body is not able to produce adequate oxygen.

Treatment and Prevention of Anemia
Well, consuming iron rich foods is a curative as well as preventive measure for iron deficiency anemia. Foods such as eggs, almonds, prune juice, leafy vegetables, etc. are foods rich in iron. Therefore, include these foods rich in iron content in your diet. In some people, despite consuming iron rich foods, their bodies cannot absorb iron. In such cases, consumption of vitamin C is advised, as vitamin C is found helpful in absorbing iron in the body.

So these were some of the most common symptoms of iron deficiency anemia. People suffering from a mild iron deficiency can also exhibit the above mentioned symptoms. If such symptoms are observed, do not overlook them, as these might be signs of the development of iron deficiency anemia. Consult a doctor and get proper treatment for the same.