With treatment, most people recover from iron-deficiency anemia in 2 to 3 months. You may need to take iron supplements for several months longer, though, to build up your reserves of iron.
You can prevent iron-deficiency anemia by getting enough iron. During times when your body needs more iron, such as pregnancy, increase the amount of iron in your diet or ask your doctor if you should take iron supplements. Anemia begins gradually, and at first you may not have any symptoms. As your anemia worsens, your anemia may cause you to:. Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals includes "virtual" hospital , a Medical Group with more than 2, physicians and advanced practice clinicians at about clinics, a health plans division called SelectHealth, and other health services.
Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and efficient healthcare delivery. Which should I choose? Check with your doctor if you: Experience the symptoms of anemia, or think for any reason that you may have anemia Notice blood in your stool.
These include: Blood loss, especially in women who lose a lot of blood during heavy menstrual periods Not enough iron in your diet Not able to absorb enough iron from foods, especially if you have digestive tract diseases, ongoing blood loss from another health condition, or have had gastric bypass surgery Increased need for iron, especially in children who are growing rapidly or pregnant women who need iron for their baby.
See your doctor if you suspect that you have anemia. It can be a warning sign of serious illness. Treatments for anemia, which depend on the cause, range from taking supplements to having medical procedures. You might be able to prevent some types of anemia by eating a healthy, varied diet. Anemia signs and symptoms vary depending on the cause and severity of anemia.
Depending on the causes of your anemia, you might have no symptoms. Fatigue has many causes besides anemia, so don't assume that if you're tired you must be anemic. Some people learn that their hemoglobin is low, which indicates anemia, when they donate blood.
If you're told that you can't donate because of low hemoglobin, make an appointment with your doctor. Anemia can be due to a condition present at birth congenital or to a condition you develop acquired. Anemia occurs when your blood doesn't have enough red blood cells. Your body makes three types of blood cells — white blood cells to fight infection, platelets to help your blood clot, and red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body and carbon dioxide from the body back to the lungs.
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin — an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red color. Hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body and to carry carbon dioxide from other parts of the body to your lungs to be exhaled.
Most blood cells, including red blood cells, are produced regularly in your bone marrow — a spongy material found within the cavities of many of your large bones.
Good sources of iron include: dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale iron-fortified cereals or bread brown rice pulses and beans nuts and seeds meat, fish and tofu eggs dried fruit, such as dried apricots, prunes and raisins Read more about treating iron deficiency anaemia Further problems If iron deficiency anaemia is left untreated, it can make you more susceptible to illness and infection, as a lack of iron affects the body's natural defence system the immune system.
Causes of iron deficiency anaemia Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when the body doesn't have enough iron, leading to the decreased production of red blood cells. Monthly periods In women of reproductive age, periods are the most common cause of iron deficiency anaemia.
Pregnancy It's also very common for women to develop iron deficiency during pregnancy. Read more about vitamins and minerals in pregnancy Gastrointestinal blood loss The gastrointestinal tract is the part of the body responsible for digesting food. Some causes of gastrointestinal bleeding are described below. Stomach ulcers The acid in your stomach, which helps your body digest food, can sometimes eat into your stomach lining.
Gastrointestinal cancer In a few cases, gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by cancer, usually stomach cancer or bowel cancer. When trying to establish the cause of anaemia, your GP will check for possible signs of cancer.
Angiodysplasia Gastrointestinal bleeding can also be caused by a condition called angiodysplasia. Chronic kidney disease People with chronic kidney disease CKD often develop iron deficiency anaemia. Other causes Other conditions or actions that cause blood loss and may lead to iron deficiency anaemia include: inflammatory bowel disease — a condition that causes redness and swelling inflammation in the digestive system, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis oesophagitis — inflammation of the gullet oesophagus caused by stomach acid leaking through it schistosomiasis — an infection caused by parasites, mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa blood donation — donating a large amount of blood may lead to anaemia trauma — a serious accident, such as a car crash, may cause you to lose a large amount of blood nosebleeds — having regular nosebleeds may lead to anaemia, although this is rare haematuria blood in your urine — but this rarely causes anaemia and may be a symptom of another condition Malabsorption Malabsorption is when your body can't absorb iron from food, and is another possible cause of iron deficiency anaemia.
Lack of iron in your diet Unless you're pregnant, it's rare for iron deficiency anaemia to be caused solely by a lack of iron in your diet. If you are vegetarian or vegan, it is possible to gain enough iron by eating other types of food, such as: beans nuts dried fruit, such as dried apricots wholegrains, such as brown rice fortified breakfast cereals soybean flour most dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale If you're pregnant, you may need to increase the amount of iron-rich food you consume during pregnancy to help prevent iron deficiency anaemia.
Diagnosing iron deficiency anaemia See your GP if you experience symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia , such as tiredness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. A simple blood test can usually confirm the diagnosis.
Blood test To diagnose iron deficiency anaemia, a blood sample is taken from a vein in your arm and a full blood count is made. If you have anaemia: your levels of haemoglobin — a substance that transports oxygen — will be lower than normal you'll have fewer red blood cells, which contain haemoglobin, than normal your red blood cells may be smaller and paler than usual Your GP may also test for a substance called ferritin, a protein that stores iron. Read more about blood tests Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency If your GP thinks your anaemia may be the result of a vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, the levels of these substances may be tested.
Finding the cause To determine the underlying cause of your anaemia, your GP may ask questions about your lifestyle and medical history. For example, they may ask you about: your diet — to see what you typically eat and whether this includes any iron-rich foods any medicines you take — to see if you've been regularly taking a type of medicine that can cause bleeding from the stomach and intestines gastrointestinal bleeding , such as ibuprofen or aspirin your menstrual pattern — if you're a woman, your GP may ask if you've been experiencing particularly heavy periods your family history — you'll be asked if your immediate family has anaemia or a history of gastrointestinal bleeding or blood disorders Iron deficiency anaemia is common during pregnancy.
Physical examination A physical examination will usually only be needed if the cause of your iron anaemia deficiency hasn't been identified by examining your medical history and asking you about your symptoms.
In such cases, your GP may: examine your stomach abdomen to check for any physical signs of gastrointestinal bleeding look for signs of heart failure , such as swollen ankles — heart failure can have some similar symptoms to iron deficiency anaemia Two other possible types of physical examination you may have are explained below.
Rectal examination A rectal examination is usually only needed if you're bleeding from your bottom. Your GP will insert a lubricated gloved finger into your bottom to feel for any abnormalities. Pelvic examination Women may have a pelvic examination if their GP thinks heavy menstrual bleeding menorrhagia may be the cause of their anaemia. Referral to a specialist In some cases, your GP may refer you to a gastroenterologist, a specialist in treating digestive conditions.
Treating iron deficiency anaemia Treatment for iron deficiency anaemia usually involves taking iron supplements and changing your diet to increase your iron levels, as well as treating the underlying cause. Iron supplements Your GP will prescribe an iron supplement to restore the iron missing from your body.
Some people can experience side effects when taking iron supplements, including: abdominal tummy pain constipation or diarrhoea heartburn feeling sick black stools faeces These side effects should settle down over time.
Dietary advice If a lack of iron in your diet is thought to be contributing to your iron deficiency anaemia, your GP will tell you how to up your intake. Iron-rich foods include: dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale iron-fortified cereals or bread brown rice pulses and beans nuts and seeds white and red meat fish tofu eggs dried fruit, such as dried apricots, prunes and raisins Your diet should include foods from all the major food groups to ensure it's healthy and balanced.
These include: tea and coffee calcium — found in dairy products, such as milk antacids and proton pump inhibitors PPIs — medications used to relieve indigestion wholegrain cereals — although wholegrains are a good source of iron themselves, they contain phytic acid, which can stop your body absorbing iron from other foods and pills You may be referred to a nutrition specialist called a dietitian if you're finding it difficult to include iron in your diet.
Treating the underlying cause Your GP will also need to ensure the underlying cause of your anaemia is treated so it doesn't happen again. Heavy periods can be treated with medication or — in particularly severe cases — surgery. Monitoring Your GP will ask you to return two to four weeks after you've started taking iron supplements to check how well you've responded to the treatment. Continuing treatment Sometimes after a person's iron levels have been replenished, they start to fall again.
If treatment is ineffective If your iron levels don't improve, your GP will ask how regularly you've been taking your iron supplements. Complications of iron deficiency anaemia Iron deficiency anaemia rarely causes serious or long-term complications, although some people with the condition find it affects their daily life. Some common complications are outlined below. Tiredness Iron deficiency anaemia can make you feel tired and lacking in energy lethargic.
Increased risk of infections Research has shown iron deficiency anaemia can affect your immune system — the body's natural defence system. Heart and lung problems Adults with severe anaemia may be at risk of developing complications that affect their heart or lungs. Pregnancy complications Pregnant women with severe anaemia have an increased risk of developing complications, particularly during and after birth.
Research suggests babies born to mothers who have untreated anaemia are more likely to: be born prematurely — before the 37th week of pregnancy have a low birth weight have problems with iron levels themselves do less well in mental ability tests Restless legs syndrome Some cases of restless legs syndrome are thought to be caused by iron deficiency anaemia. Tweet Click here to share this page on Twitter This will open a new window. Print Click here to print this page This will open your print options in a new window.
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Your GP may carry out repeat blood tests over the next few months to check that your iron level is getting back to normal. Keep iron supplement tablets out of the reach of children. An overdose of iron in a young child can be fatal. If your diet is partly causing your iron deficiency anaemia, your GP will tell you what foods are rich in iron so you can eat more of them. Large amounts of these foods and drinks make it harder for your body to absorb iron.
You might be referred to a specialist dietitian if you're finding it hard to include iron in your diet. In pregnancy, iron deficiency anaemia is most often caused by a lack of iron in your diet. Heavy periods and pregnancy are very common causes of iron deficiency anaemia.
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