Iron Deficiency Symptoms: Signs of Iron Deficiency in the Body

Weakness, pale skin, hair on the comb — the set with which half of all home diagnoses begin. Iron deficiency anemia really does produce such a picture and remains the most common type of anemia, but it is confirmed not by how you feel but by a blood test. Below is what is known about the signs of iron deficiency and where the everyday guess ends.

What iron deficiency is and why the body needs iron

Iron is a key part of red blood cells: without it hemoglobin is not built, and the blood does not carry oxygen to tissues efficiently. Red blood cells circulate for 3–4 months, the body obtains iron from food and reuses it from old cells, and deficiency begins when stores are depleted. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, but not the only one: the same blood test also checks for other types, for example those associated with a lack of vitamin B12 or folate.

Main symptoms of iron deficiency

The classic ones are fatigue and lack of energy, shortness of breath, noticeable palpitations, pale skin, headaches. With mild deficiency there may be no symptoms at all, and they usually increase gradually. Less obvious signs:

• hair loss more noticeable than usual when combing and washing;
• a painful or inflamed tongue, sores in the corners of the mouth, difficulty swallowing;
• brittle and spoon-shaped nails;
• noise or ringing in the head, a strange taste of food, itching;
• a craving for non-food items — paper, ice.

The desire to chew ice looks like a joke right up until the moment it turns out to be a symptom.

Iron deficiency symptoms in women: specifics

In women of reproductive age, latent iron deficiency occurs in 20–30%, iron deficiency anemia — in 8–10%. The first place among the causes of blood loss is occupied by uterine bleeding, so heavy, prolonged or frequent menstruation is a common cause of iron deficiency. Pregnancy and breastfeeding increase the expenditure: weakness, shortness of breath and palpitations are easily attributed to the period itself. Untreated anemia in pregnant women increases the risk of complications before and after childbirth.

Why iron deficiency develops

In adults, deficiency develops, as a rule, because of blood loss; constant small losses — chronic occult bleeding — also lead to a negative balance. In the digestive tract they are caused by long-term use of ibuprofen, aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, peptic ulcer disease, inflammation of the intestine or esophagus, hemorrhoids; tumors of the stomach and intestines — less often, but the cause of bleeding is always sought. Malabsorption is added — celiac disease, Crohn's disease, gastric bypass, an excess of antacids or tetracycline — and a poor diet, for example strict vegetarianism. In men, occult bleeding from the digestive tract is the main cause.

How low iron is confirmed: tests

The conversation begins with lifestyle and medical history, and the complete blood count decides: it shows the number of red blood cells and other cells. Next, iron metabolism is assessed — serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, ferritin; if the picture is unclear, a bone marrow biopsy is possible. The search for the source of losses includes a fecal occult blood test (FIT), colonoscopy, examination of the esophagus and stomach, and examination of the urinary tract and uterus. By hemoglobin, anemia is divided into mild (above 90 g/L), moderate (70–90 g/L) and severe (below 70 g/L).

When to see a doctor

The reason is the signs you have linked to iron: fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, pallor, hair loss. Untreated deficiency increases the risk of infections and causes complications from the heart and lungs — tachycardia, heart failure. A separate signal is blood in the stool or black tarry stool.

A feeling of weakness on its own is not a reason to call an ambulance. 103 or 112 — for a life-threatening condition.

The material is for reference: it does not replace a doctor's consultation and is not a treatment recommendation.

This content is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Medical disclaimer