Iron + Wellness: How It Is Interconnected?
What is Iron Deficiency?
Iron deficiency occurs when your body suffers from a lack of mineral iron. Iron is needed to make
hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that allows them to transport oxygen throughout the body.
Without a proper amount of hemoglobin, your tissues and muscles won’t be able to work effectively
due to the lack of oxygen. This leads to anemia. While there are different types of anemia, the most
common type is Iron Deficiency anemia.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Paler Skin
The hemoglobin in red blood cells is what gives blood its red color. When the levels of hemoglobin
are low due to Iron Deficiency, the blood is less red, causing the skin to lose some of its color and
warmth. By pulling your lower eyelid, if the color is a very pale pink or yellow, you may have Iron
Deficiency.
Shortness of Breath
Hemoglobin enables your red blood cells to circulate around your body to transport oxygen. With the
levels of hemoglobin low due to Iron Deficiency, your muscles do not receive enough oxygen for your
daily normal activities such as walking. As such, your breathing rate will increase due to your body
needing more oxygen, hence the shortness of breath.
If you are experiencing shortness of breath after undergoing your daily tasks such as walking or
climbing stairs, you may be experiencing Iron Deficiency.
Dry and Damaged Hair and Skin
As Iron Deficiency lowers the hemoglobin level, the oxygen level in-results reduces too which causes
problems to hair growth. When skin and hair are deprived of oxygen, they tend to become dry and
weak. While it is normal for some hair to fall out during everyday washing, if you are experiencing loss
of clumps of hair, it may be related to Iron Deficiency.
Restless Legs
Restless leg is a syndrome that causes a strong urge to move your legs when they’re at rest. It may
cause unpleasant and strange crawling or itchy sensations in your feet and legs. It’s normally worse at
night, and this may indirectly affect your sleep. While the causes of restless legs syndrome is not fully
understood, people with Iron Deficiency have a higher chance of experiencing it.
A much less common symptom of Iron Deficiency is medically known as Koilonychia. The usual first sign
would be that your nail would chip and crack easily. As the stages progress, you may experience
spoon-shaped nails; meaning the middle of the nail dips and the edges are raised to give a rounded
appearance like a spoon.
However, it should be understood that this is a rare side effect and is only experienced by those that
have a more severe Iron Deficiency.
In conclusion
If you are currently experiencing any of the given symptoms, you may be experiencing Iron Deficiency.
Consult a doctor for better confirmation.