When your body isn't getting enough oxygenation due to a lack of iron, you may find it hard to maintain focus and carry out your daily tasks. In addition, you may experience mood swings and irritability. Over time, in some cases, it may cause anxiety and depression. So, all these problems are interrelated.”
In the brain, iron is bound to ferritin, the levels of which are decreased by iron deficiency and increased by iron supplementation. Low ferritin levels in childhood have been reported to affect the development of the central nervous system, leading to mental retardation and behavioral disorders.
Research suggests a connection between low iron levels and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, Levin and Gattari write.
People lacking enough iron in their blood often feel sluggish, weak, and unable to focus.
And since iron is an essential element for brain functions that can dictate psychological behaviours, low iron levels in the body may put you at risk for a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
"If you actually ask women who have iron deficiency what their symptoms are, fatigue and tiredness is there but right at the top of the list is brain fog and that's what women described — it's the inability to think clearly," says Professor Toby Richards.
Iron is involved in many fundamental biological processes in the brain including oxygen transportation, DNA synthesis, mitochondrial respiration, myelin synthesis, and neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism.
Severe iron deficiency anaemia may increase your risk of developing complications that affect the heart or lungs, such as an abnormally fast heartbeat (tachycardia) or heart failure, where your heart is unable to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.
Anemia could be a contributing cause of your anxiety and depression symptoms. Several studies link anemia, and more specifically iron deficiency anemia, to mental health problems. While more research is required to confirm the connection, for many people, these conditions go hand in hand.
Brain iron deficiency is associated with disruption of neurophysiological mechanisms that, within a social context that does not provide regular stimuli, compromises motor and cognitive development (e.g., impaired motor sequencing and bi-manual coordination, poor executive function, attention, and memory).
Now, just as you're savoring your successes, the latest research suggests that low levels of iron can worsen attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. You know how important iron is to the body, carrying oxygen to the muscles and organs.
Unusually pale skin
The blood gets its red colour from the haemoglobin in the red blood cells. So, when the body is deficient in iron, it makes the blood less red and this causes the skin to look paler than usual or lose its warmth.
If it's more severe, it could cause lightheadedness, headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, or loss of consciousness. Go to the emergency room if you are experiencing lightheadedness, chest pain, shortness of breath, or lose consciousness.
If you think you may have severe anemia, it is essential that you call your physician, go to the emergency room for evaluation, or call 911 to get help. One treatment that may help those with severe anemia could be hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
A sudden lack of energy and chronic fatigue are warning signs that you might be lacking enough iron. In order for all of the cells in your body to function efficiently, oxygen needs to be able to travel freely around the body.
Iron is essential for normal neurological function because of its role in oxidative metabolism and because it is a cofactor in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and myelin. In the past several years, there has been increased attention to the importance of oxidative stress in the central nervous system.
Conclusion: There is evidence that children with Iron Deficiency Anemia show more deficient language development than normal children. Iron deficiency is that the most widespread nutritional deficiency worldwide and an enormous general medical issue, particularly in developing countries.
While spacing out can simply be a sign that you are sleep deprived, stressed, or distracted, it can also be due to a transient ischemic attack, seizure, hypotension, hypoglycemia, migraine, transient global amnesia, fatigue, narcolepsy, or drug misuse.
If you have iron deficiency, you may not realise it as you may just feel tired and run down. Low iron symptoms include: feeling fatigued (tired), listless and weak. short of breath, dizzy and light-headed.
This can be caused by overworking, lack of sleep, stress, and spending too much time on the computer. On a cellular level, brain fog is believed to be caused by high levels inflammation and changes to hormones that determine your mood, energy and focus.
Taken together, our findings highlight that elevation of serum transferrin level might be associated with a high risk of autism, suggesting a potential role of iron deficiency in autism development.
People with ADHD have higher chances of being nutrient deficient than the average person. People with ADHD are twice as likely to suffer iron-deficiency anemia compared to members of the general population. 78.4% of children with ADHD are deficient in vitamin D compared to 48% of children without ADHD.