Iron Deficiency Facts

Iron is an important mineral that your body needs. It is essential for producing hemoglobin, which allows your red blood cells to carry oxygen to all of your body's tissues. Iron assists your muscles in storing and using oxygen. It is contained in enzymes that aid other processes such as digestion. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, which is an insufficient number of red blood cells. Your doctor can determine if you are iron deficient by a simple blood test.

Symptoms

• Iron deficiency can affect you physically, but you may not notice any symptoms until you have reached the point of iron deficiency anemia. Those symptoms include fatigue, weakness, decreased performance at school or work, difficulty keeping your body temperature normal (usually feeling cold), cognitive impairment, pale skin, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, decreased immunity to illness and infections, and an inflamed or sore tongue.

Causes

• Iron deficiency may be caused by such conditions as pregnancy or blood loss. Pregnant women need more iron to support their unborn child. Blood loss can occur from heavy menstrual periods and some intestinal conditions such as a peptic ulcer or a colon polyp. Small children and infants need higher levels of iron because of their rapid growth, and they may not always get their requirements from their diet. It may also be caused by a decreased intake or malabsorption of iron. Heme iron, which is the type of iron in meats, poultry and fish, is more readily absorbed than non-heme iron, which comes primarily from plant foods. Excessive use of antacids may also interfere with the absorption of iron. Certain intestinal diseases, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease, may also interfere with the ability of your intestines to absorb iron.

Treatment

• Treatment includes prescribed iron supplements and changes in diet to include more iron-rich foods, especially heme iron. Along with meats, poultry and fish, beans, spinach and some fortified cereals contain heme iron. If your deficiency is caused by an illness, the underlying condition should be treated as well. Vitamin C, when consumed with foods that contain iron, helps increase absorption.

Risk Factors

• Those who are at a higher risk of iron deficiency include pregnant women and young children due to increased needs, and women and adolescent girls who are menstruating. Infants and babies are at a higher risk if they were born prematurely or small. In addition, if they are breastfed and not given cereals and other sources of iron after six months they are at risk, as well as babies who are not receiving iron-fortified formulas. Children between the ages of one and five who consume more than 24 ounces of milk each day and children with special health needs are also at risk.

Prevention

• Iron deficiency may be prevented by eating a diet that is rich in iron, particularly heme iron, including vitamin C in a meal where you are consuming foods containing iron, feeding your baby iron-fortified foods after the age of six months, limiting milk to no more than three eight ounce servings after one year of age and in some cases, consuming iron supplements.