Treatment for iron-deficiency anemia will depend on its cause and severity. Treatments may include dietary changes and supplements, medicines, and surgery. 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.
Anaemia is defined as a haemoglobin (Hb) level two standard deviations below the normal for age and sex. In men aged over 15 years — Hb below 130 g/L. In non-pregnant women aged over 15 years — Hb below 120 g/L. In children aged 12–14 years — Hb below 120 g/L.
If you are having mild symptoms you should schedule an appointment with your doctor. You should call 911 or go to the emergency room if you are having severe symptoms or any chest pain, shortness of breath, or loss of consciousness.
Left untreated, however, iron-deficiency anemia can make you feel tired and weak. You may notice pale skin and cold hands and feet. Iron-deficiency anemia can also cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded. Occasionally, it can cause chest pain, a fast heartbeat and shortness of breath.
The last stage is iron deficiency anemia. It is characterized by a low hemoglobin concentration with small (microcytic), pale (hypochromic) RBCs. Symptoms include fatigue upon exertion, weakness, headaches, apathy, pallor, poor resistance to cold temperatures, low physical work capacity, and poor immune function.
Blood transfusions are generally reserved for people who have a very low Hb level (less than 7 g/dL), low or unstable blood pressure, and/or breathing difficulties caused by severe anemia. Symptoms may include chest pain and/or shortness of breath, or in more extreme circumstances, passing out.
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.
Sometimes iron deficiency will present as anxiety, depression, irritability, and even poor concentration and general restlessness.
Eye symptoms of low iron can include a pale coloring of the inside of the lower eyelids. In moderate or severe cases of iron deficiency anemia, the inside layer of the lower eyelid is very pale pink or yellow instead of red. Rather than low iron, one common cause of blurry vision is dry eye.
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.
Tyebjee. "It typically takes about six months of supplementation for iron stores to return to normal. For the more permanent reasons of deficiency, such as weight loss surgery, iron supplements may need to be taken long-term."
Low iron levels are commonly found in individuals who have fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, and chronic muscle pain. The American Society of Hematology has suggested that people with iron deficiencies may experience trigger point pain in their muscles that results from a lack of oxygen being delivered to them.
If you have anemia without an established cause, your healthcare provider may pursue the possibility of a cancer diagnosis. Types of cancer most often associated with low hemoglobin include blood cancers, bone cancer, colon cancer, and cervical cancer.
Adults with severe anaemia may be at risk of developing complications that affect their heart or lungs. For example, you may develop tachycardia, which is an abnormally fast heartbeat, or heart failure, where the heart fails to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.
Again, our red blood cells carry oxygen to our major organs—when we have anemia, our organs aren't getting enough oxygen, which can lead to complications including damage to the lungs and heart, and, in extreme cases, death.
Iron dextran injection is used to treat iron-deficiency anemia (a lower than normal number of red blood cells due to too little iron) in people who cannot be treated with iron supplements taken by mouth. Iron dextran injection is in a class of medications called iron replacement products.
Iron infusions can restore your iron levels immediately following the procedure; however, it may take around 2 to 6 weeks before you notice a difference in your body.
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.
Often, the first test used to diagnose anemia is a complete blood count (CBC). The CBC measures many parts of your blood. This test checks your hemoglobin and hematocrit (hee-MAT-oh-crit) levels.
The type of headache a person experiences as a result of iron-deficiency anemia can vary. Some people will experience a dull aching sensation throughout their head. They may also feel lightheaded or dizzy. A migraine episode will feel different.
Still, you might not experience any symptoms until the anemia is quite severe, said Dr. Nancy Berliner, the deputy editor of the American Society of Hematology's journal Blood. But since low iron is caused by loss of iron-rich blood, it means you're bleeding somewhere, so “you don't want to ignore it,” she said.