You Might Be Iron Deficient and Not Know

^{Have you seen people who have unusual cravings, or they show certain signs on their hands and neck that is not the normal healthy sign? They might be suffering from iron deficiency and do not know about it, so let’s help them understand their health and possible signs that they might be having iron deficiency.}

^{The first sign of iron deficiency is skin becoming pale (pallor) and to understand this, let me break down hemoglobin. Iron is at the center of the hemoglobin molecule, and it is the binding site for oxygen which means that when iron molecules are low, the red blood cell has less hemoglobin causing the color of the blood to change to a pale-like structure. If you want to be sure if you need iron or not, check your conjuctiva just at the lower eyelid to see the blood vessels in your eyes. It should have a nice rich red color but if it isn’t then you might be anemic and needs attention.}

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^{Since iron is the binding site for heme which carries oxygen so this means that when there is low oxygen, the body begins to experience fatigue as a result of the blood not being able to deliver red blood cells to where is needed. Fatigue isn’t the only thing to be experienced because while the symptoms are felt within, the signs can be seen and one of them is thin concaved fingers known as koilonychia.}

^{Pica is another sign of iron deficiency. If you are having this stong urge to chew ice, you might be suffering from Pagophacia which is an example of pica. If you also love to eat chalk, raw pasta, or even lick baby powder, then your iron levels need to be checked.}

^{If your tongue is smooth instead of the usual rough surface, do not think you have special tongue instead you might be suffering from Atrophic Glossitis which has caused the papillae on the tongue to gradually disappear. When iron levels are low, the tongue cannot repair itself and one of such repairs is papillae repair.}

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^{People with iron deficiency can also suffer skin infection like ring worm caused by the fungi kmown as dermatophites entering the skin through breaks in the skin. Our immune cells are built to fight against fungal infection but with iron deficiency, the immune cells are weak and so not able to fight these infections.}

^{Let me mention the part of iron and its involvement in depression. The brain needs iron to produce serotonin and dopamine which are two key neurotransmitters that halp in regulating emotions, motivations, and to help with focusing, so when there is no iron in the body, it can be a sloopy slope to depression. Asides depression, iron deficiency can increase the risk of stroke, cause itchiness which leads to rashes, hair thinning, and dark circle underneath the eyes.}

^{If you seem to be suffering from any of the signs I mentioned, then you might need to visit the hospital so you can be properly diagnosed. Diagnosis will begin with ferritin blood test so as to know how much iron the body stores. Other tests like serum iron, total iron binding capacity test, and transferrin saturation test. Once deficiency is found, supplements can be used to correct it and in severe case, IV iron can be administered.}

^{If you have iron deficiency, treating it with supplements alone isn’t good enough because there are possible reasons for the deficiency so the question is why is there iron deficiency? For deficiencies like this, there is certainly going to be an underlying cause and treating the underlying cause is the best route to take.}

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^Reference

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^{https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/iron-deficiency-anaemia/
https://www.who.int/health-topics/anaemia
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-deficiency-signs-symptoms
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/iron-deficiency}