Fatigue. Tiring easily, and waking up tired even after a good night's sleep, are common and potentially serious symptoms of anemia. This is due to reduced and compromised red blood cells that naturally cannot carry the required levels of oxygen to the organs – which, in turn, cannot function efficiently.
If not treated, anemia can cause many health problems, such as: Severe tiredness.
Extreme fatigue and exhaustion “Fatigue is one of the most common signs of iron deficiency because it means your body is having trouble carrying the oxygen to your cells so it's affecting your energy levels,” Thayer says. People lacking enough iron in their blood often feel sluggish, weak, and unable to focus.
It often takes three to six months to restore your iron levels. Your doctor may ask you to take iron supplements during pregnancy.
Grading of anemia, according to the National Cancer Institute, is as follows: Mild: Hemoglobin 10.0 g/dL to lower limit of normal. Moderate: Hemoglobin 8.0 to 10.0 g/dL. Severe: Hemoglobin 6.5 to 7.9 g/dL[1]
If you have anemia, your body does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. The lack of oxygen can make you feel tired or weak. You may also have shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, or an irregular heartbeat.
Call Your Doctor About Anemia If:
Persistent fatigue, breathlessness, rapid heart rate, pale skin, or any other symptoms of anemia; seek emergency care for any trouble breathing or change in your heart beat.
Severe iron-deficiency anemia may require a blood transfusion, iron injections, or intravenous (IV) iron therapy. Treatment may need to be done in a hospital.
What to do if you have anemia. If your red blood cell count is low, you should: Save your energy. Rest when you are tired.
If you suspect you might have an anemic disorder, check yourself for the following symptoms and call your doctor for further advice. A sudden lack of energy and chronic fatigue are warning signs that you might be lacking enough iron.
You may also find that low iron causes weight gain. There are a couple of reasons for this; firstly, your energy levels are low and so your exercise levels reduce; secondly, iron is essential for thyroid function, and an underactive thyroid will lead to weight gain.
Hypoxia (reduced oxygen levels) from anemia affects multiple areas of your body, including your brain. It can cause physical, cognitive, and mental health symptoms, some of which include: fatigue.
Iron deficiency anemia can produce symptoms such as fatigue that impact your daily life. It can increase your risk of anxiety and depression. You can use strategies to manage the fatigue, including changes to sleep, diet, and activity. You may need help and support from family, friends, and medical professionals.
Having an iron-deficiency may not cause insomnia or sleep problems but it can make you feel exhausted and overtired, which in turn may hinder your efforts to fall asleep in the first place!
The overlap of the same brain region linked to both hemoglobin levels and shorter sleep duration may suggest a common pathway in the development of anemia and insomnia. In addition, living with a chronic disease such as anemia may result in large stressors, leading to shorter sleep duration and more disturbed sleep.
If left untreated, iron-deficiency anemia can cause serious health problems. Having too little oxygen in the body can damage organs. With anemia, the heart must work harder to make up for the lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin. This extra work can harm the heart.
Stage 3 – Iron Deficiency Anemia – Hemoglobin begin to drop in the final stage which, depending on other blood work, may formally be defined as IDA. At this stage your red blood cells are fewer in number, smaller and contain less hemoglobin.
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).
The average length of stay was 5.7 ± 2.1 days. Patients with mild anemia had 1.7 times longer stays (95% CI: 1.6-1.7, P <. 001) and those with moderate to severe anemia had 3.0 times longer stays (95% CI 2.9-3.1, P <. 001).
I Can Work, Not Much With Chronic Anemia
You may be able to work some, but not continue full-time work and earn a living. The SSA has an income guideline set, which is called substantial gainful activity (SGA). If you earn at or above the SGA limit, you would not be able to qualify disability benefits.
During a hemolytic crisis, the body cannot make enough red blood cells to replace those that are destroyed. This causes acute and often severe anemia. The part of red blood cells that carries oxygen (hemoglobin) is released into the bloodstream.
Without enough oxygen-rich red blood cells, your heart has to work much harder to keep your body supplied with the nutrients it requires. You may feel pain and tightness in your chest when your heart muscle is not getting the oxygen it needs.
Craving and chewing ice (pagophagia) is often associated with iron deficiency, with or without anemia, although the reason is unclear. At least one study indicates that ice chewing might increase alertness in people with iron deficiency anemia.