Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron Deficiency Anemia General Information

Iron Deficiency Anemia, also known under the term of sideropenic anemia, is the most common type of anemia encountered. It may also develop and cause microcytic anemia if left untreated. It is caused by an insufficiency in the dietary intake of iron, or in the absorption of iron from food. In such cases the process of hemoglobin forming is hindered, as it contains iron. Iron Deficiency Anemia is about ten times more common in adult women than in men, and that is mostly due to the monthly menstrual blood loss. This type of anemia can also be caused by parasites and parasitic infections, through intestinal bleeding and inflammations.

As the final stage of iron deficiency, this type of anemia can affect the proper functioning of several internal organs. It can be defined by the depletion of the bodily reserves of iron. Under normal circumstances, when the body has sufficient functional iron, the remaining iron is stored in the liver, spleen and bone marrow, in order to be used at a later time. When the depletion is not complete, and the body still has some reserves, the condition is known as iron deficiency, however when the condition becomes critical with the iron supplies being completely depleted, anemia sets in. In such cases, the ingested and absorbed amounts of iron are insufficient to maintain proper functioning of the body.

Iron Deficiency Anemia Symptoms

Patients affected by Iron Deficiency Anemia may present a large number of symptoms; however the most commonly encountered are weakness, fatigue and a pronounced pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, caused by a reduced presence of oxyhemoglobin in the tissues. The condition sets in slowly, thus the appearance of the symptoms occurs at a slow pace as well and may take a long time until they fully develop and become obvious. Severe cases of anemia may also be accompanied by breathing trouble (dyspnea) and unusual and obsessive cravings, generally for food. Craving for ice is a very commonly encountered symptom, when such cravings occur. In some cases, health care specialists have also associated lightheadedness and hair loss with anemia as well.

Patients affected by Iron Deficiency Anemia may also experience poor appetite, constipation, fainting or fainting sensations based on disturbances of the digestive process, while also being affected by sleepiness and palpitations. Tinnitus is another commonly observed symptom, and patients have also reported seeing bright colors before their eyes. Depression has often accompanied cases of Iron Deficiency Anemia, and there have been rare cases of sleep apnea in patients diagnosed with this type of anemia. Twitching muscles, tingling, burning or numbness may also develop as symptoms of this condition, but should disappear as soon as the patient undergoes the proper treatment for anemia. Women affected by this condition may experience heavy menstrual periods or may completely miss a menstrual cycle. Some patients have developed sore or swollen tongues, while others have reported an increased weakening and brittleness of the nails.

Iron Deficiency Anemia Treatment

In most of the cases where Iron Deficiency Anemia occurred due to a dietary problem, health care specialists usually treat the affection by prescribing iron supplements, such as ferrous gluconate, iron (II) sulfate or iron amino acid chelate NaFeEDTA. Normally, the anemia will respond to such treatment and the situation will return to normal. Women that experience this type of anemia during pregnancy may be administered iron in low doses, such as 20 to 40 mg per day. While this therapy maintains its effectiveness, it typically manages to avoid any gastrointestinal complications that may occur with larger doses.

However, while the effect on Iron Deficiency Anemia is obvious, there is a side effect to administering iron supplements. It has been demonstrated that supplementary iron may increase the morbidity of infectious diseases in areas commonly affected by bacterial infestations. While iron deficiency protects the organism against infection, by providing an inappropriate environment for bacterial replication and growth, it also lowers the immune system capability of fighting off other strains of viruses or bacteria, leaving the body weak against other types of infections. It is up to the examining health care specialist to determine whether treating the iron deficiency may help or harm in a certain situation, so it is best that you consult with your personal health care specialist if you suspect you are suffering from this type of anemia.

Apart from the dietary problems that may cause Iron Deficiency Anemia, it has been shown that the body may have problems absorbing the ingested iron, especially when it is taken in combination with tea, milk, coffee or other specific substances. A number of solutions to this situation have been forwarded, such as fortification by use of ascorbic acid, which acts by increasing the bioavailability both in the presence of inhibiting substances as well as in their absence; however this may be subject to deterioration caused by moisture and heat – thus, fortification with ascorbic acid is generally limited to sealed dry combinations and foods. However, the same benefits may be reached by combining iron supplements with ascorbic acid.

Lecithin and iron amino acid chelates have also been shown to have great benefits in protecting the iron particles, by binding with them and offering protection from inhibiting substances. However, no matter which of the above procedures is chosen to protect the dietary iron, it is highly advised that the patient also takes certain steps to ensure additional protection, such as separating the intake of inhibiting substances by a couple of hours from the intake of iron supplements. Other procedures that are effective in the therapy against Iron Deficiency Anemia may include switching from cows’ milk to goats’ milk, adopting a gluten free diet and a diet rich in foods containing “heme iron” – iron contained in animal foods such as poultry, fish and meat.

In some cases, patients affected by Iron Deficiency Anemia may not respond to normal treatment. In such cases it may be necessary that the treatment is performed by administering iron parenterally either by emodialysis or an IV drip – however this therapy may result in side effects such as fever and chills, myalgia, backache, dizziness, rashes, syncope, anaphylactic shock and possibly even secondary iron overload. It is highly recommended that the effectiveness of the treatment on each particular case is further observed by regular blood testing of the patient.