7 commons symptoms of an iron deficiency

7 commons symptoms of an iron deficiency

Iron is one of the main minerals that is required by the body. It is an important part of all cells and performs various integral functions. The deficiency of iron can occur anytime and there are a lot of reasons that will cause its deficiency in the body. If the deficiency of iron cannot be treated for the longer duration of time, it will cause anemia.

There are several symptoms that can be observed when you are suffering from iron deficiency, and we will discuss 7 of the most common ones.

Unusual fatigue
Unusual fatigue is the most common symptom that you might feel when you are iron deficient. There is a protein known as hemoglobin in the red blood cells and this protein require iron for its production in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin is used to carry oxygen all around the body. When you are deficient of iron, this implies the production of hemoglobin will also be affected. Hence, sufficient oxygen will not reach all parts of the body, and this will make you feel tired.

Frequent infections
Iron greatly contributes to improving the immune system. So, when you lack a sufficient amount of iron in your body, your immune system will be affected. This will make your body more susceptible to certain infections.

Paleness
Another symptom of an iron deficiency is the pale coloring of the lower eyelids and pale skin. The red color of the skin is due to the presence of red blood cells in the body. Therefore, when there is a deficiency of iron in the body, it makes the blood less red and hence, the skin loses its healthy red color. And, this is the reason that the skin looks pale at certain areas.

Swollen tongue
The lack of iron can also make your tongue sore or swell. The people with iron deficiency also show some symptom of cracks on the side of the mouth.

Shortness of breath
We all know that hemoglobin is responsible for enabling red blood cells in carrying oxygen all around the body. This means when there is a lower level of hemoglobin in the body, the level of oxygen will be low. This implies you will not get proper oxygen for performing your normal activities. This is the reason the breathing rate in your body increase and you will experience shortness of breath.

Hair loss
The deficiency of iron when causes anemia in many people, then it will also result in the loss of hair. The follicles of hair don’t grow when they don’t get a sufficient amount of oxygen. They will start to grow when there will be some improvement in anemia.

Headaches
Another common symptom of the deficiency of iron is a headache. This symptom varies in different people differently and some people also feel dizziness with headaches. The less supply of oxygen to the brain because of the lack of iron, can cause headaches in some of the people.

These are the few symptoms of iron deficiency and if you have any of these symptoms, you must consult your doctor.