Get To Know Why Iron Deficiency Occurs And Its Treatment

Iron is a crucial mineral found in the body needed for proper growth and functioning. It makes hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all other parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. It also does the function of producing certain hormones.

Therefore, Iron deficiency in the body often leads to insufficient blood. Iron is mostly found in the red blood cells of your blood which regulate cell development, that is why lesser red blood cell production is related to iron deficiency. Major Disease Caused By Deficiency Of Iron is called “Iron deficiency anemia”.

Anemia arises due to very low levels of hemoglobin in the red blood cells, giving the blood a lighter color and makes the appearance of skin pale. Iron-deficiency anemia is the result of insufficient iron which results in less blood in the body due to which your body will not be able to get the oxygen required for doing its daily activities with the required energy.

Reasons for iron deficiency

Some of the leading causes of this deficiency are:

• Not Consuming sufficient iron in daily diet for a long period of time, leading to depletion of iron stores in the body.
• Not consuming sufficient Vitamin C that helps the body absorb iron.
• Menstruation cycle blood loss or pregnancy or childbirth associated blood loss that can cause an acute short fall in iron levels.
• Internal bleeding due to conditions such as stomach ulcer, polyps in colon or intestines or piles.
• External bleeding due to serious injuries leading to significant blood loss.
• Certain disorders like celiac disease, crohn’s disease or surgeries that affect the intestines and interfere with their ability to absorb iron in the body.
• Being a vegetarian, and not consuming heme-iron food which includes poultry and seafood, high in the concentration of this mineral.

Iron deficiency diseases

Iron deficiency may show up as the following related diseases such as:fatigue, muscle weakness, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, headache, dizziness, inflammation of tongue, brittle nails, hairfall and poor appetite.

Iron deficiency Anemia treatment

Anemia may be a cause of worry, but it is a treatable condition. There are many treatment options available for iron-deficiency anemia, some available over the counter and some right inside your kitchen. The best known treatments include:

• Taking iron supplements in the dosage and for the time period prescribed by a registered practitioner, depending on the level of deficiency.
• Consuming a diet rich in iron and making a combination of heme- iron (non-veg) and non-heme (plant based) food sources in daily diet. For eg: red meat, chicken, fish, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, cereals, dried fruits, etc.
• Including Vitamin C in your diet by taking citrus fruits like oranges, sweet lime, pineapple, papaya, lemons, etc. that are rich in this vitamin which helps your body to absorb iron.
• Consult a competent medical practitioner if you are facing excessive bleeding during menstruation or any other time.
• Blood transfusion, or iron injections in case of emergencies for an urgent boost in the iron level.

Prevention of iron deficiency anemia

Prevention is always better than cure and the same should be followed for iron requirements by eating iron rich foods and taking sufficient Vitamin C to help the body absorb iron, so that the shortfall doesn’t arise and you are able to lead a healthy life.