12 Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency You Must Not Ignore

Fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitation, and pale skin are common signs of iron deficiency. You may also experience headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and hair loss. Increased frequency of infections, restless legs syndrome, craving for non-food substances, cracks near the mouth, and brittle nails are also possible signs.

Iron is one of the 16 essential minerals you need to consume with food regularly at recommended doses to allow your body to function optimally. This is because, iron is necessary for the production of haemoglobin in our body, which is the red pigment that allows our red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body from our lungs. In fact, 70% of the iron consumed by us is utilized for this very purpose

Iron is a crucial mineral that plays an active role in many body functions. And while your body just can’t do without this nutrient, its deficiency is also one of the most common nutritional problems in the world. Women especially need to be wary.

Low levels of iron may not cause any symptoms initially. However, as the deficiency worsens, you may notice many of the following signs.

1. Fatigue

As mentioned in the introduction, without iron your body cannot produce haemoglobin, the red pigment needed by your blood cells to transport oxygen all over your body. That’s why, those suffering from iron deficiency most commonly suffer from chronic fatigue (even in the morning) because their body does not receive sufficient oxygen throughout the day.

2. Shortness Of Breath

An iron deficiency can also cause you to feel that you are constantly short of breath – like you are running out of air and cannot breathe deeply or fast enough. You may also feel that you urgently need to inhale before you finish exhaling.

Most people with this condition may not feel breathless while in a relaxed state or while sitting down. When you engage in physical activity or exert yourself, however, the increased amount of oxygen required by the body cannot be delivered by the blood. As a result, you may start to breathe deeply and rapidly in the attempt to increase oxygen supply.3 In severe cases, you may even feel short of breath while sitting down.

3. Heart Palpitations

If your red blood cells do not have enough haemoglobin, they cannot adequately oxygenate your body. This increases the workload on your heart, which now has to pump extra fast to cope up with the increased demand for oxygen, leading to irregular palpitations.

4. Pale Skin

Haemoglobin is what gives your skin its rosy hue, so your skin will look pale and sickly if you’re iron deficient. This is more noticeable in fair skinned people, but regardless of your skin colour, if your gums, the insides of your lips and the insides of your lower eyelid are less red than usual than you could have an iron deficiency.

5. Headaches And Dizziness

Frequent headaches and feeling dizzy is not the most common sign of iron deficiency, but if it is in conjunction with the signs above, then it is definitely a symptom of iron deficiency. The reason behind this is again – reduced oxygen supply in your body, which causes the blood vessels in your brain to swell up and pulsate, giving rise to headaches and dizziness. In fact, severe iron deficiency can even cause you to faint often. So, watch out for these signs, as they are quite detrimental to your brain’s health.

6. Auditory Problems

Some people with iron deficiency anemia hear a buzzing, ringing, or hissing sound inside their head. This is a condition known as tinnitus. Experts suggest that a decrease in the number of red blood cells can, in some cases, lead to a thinning of blood and cause it to circulate so quickly that it makes a sound.10

7. Strange Non-Food Cravings

While the connection is not exactly clear, people with iron deficiency anemia may experience a craving for non-food substances such as dirt, ice, paint, or paper, a condition that’s known as pica.11 You may also feel that your food tastes strange.

8. Skin Problems, Hair Loss, And Nail Abnormalities

Your skin, hair, and nails also take a beating when you have iron deficiency anemia. You may feel itchy and have brittle nails. Some people find that their nails curve inward like a spoon. You could also experience hair loss. So if you find more strands of hair falling than is than usual when you wash or brush your hair, you might be low on iron.

9. Sore Tongue And Cracks In The Corners Of The Mouth

The lack of oxygen can cause muscles to enlarge and become painful. Since the tongue is one among the muscles, iron deficiency can lead to a swollen and tender tongue. The usual bumps on the surface of the tongue disappear and appear to be smooth. This causes difficulty with chewing, swallowing or even talking.

10. Restless Legs Syndrome

Fidgeting may be a sign of iron deficiency, since studies have shown that around 15 percent of people who suffer from restless leg syndrome have an iron deficiency as well. The lower your iron levels, the more you tend to fidget.

11. Frequent Infections

Iron plays a very important role in maintaining a good immune system, by fighting off the infection that invades the body. However, a lack of iron leads to less blood production, which lowers the levels of white blood cells in the body. This makes the body more susceptible to infections and you fall sick more often.

12. Cold Hands And Feet

When your body is under an oxygen crisis because of low haemoglobin, the peripheries of your body end up suffering more because your heart is incapable of pushing blood out so far. And this reduced blood flow manifests often in the form of perpetually cold hands and feet

Some People Are At A Higher Risk Of Iron Deficiency

While a blood workup for anemia is a routine test many doctors recommend, that may not help to detect iron deficiency without anemia. If you suspect an iron deficiency, check your serum ferritin levels also.

• Women of childbearing age are more susceptible to iron deficiency since they experience blood loss during their monthly periods. 1 out of 5 women in this age group suffers from iron deficiency anemia.
• Pregnant women can become deficient in iron since they need much more iron than usual to meet the baby’s needs. Around 50% of women who are pregnant develop iron deficiency anemia.
• People who suffer from a medical condition that causes blood loss or interferes with iron absorption may not have enough iron despite a good diet.

Infants or small children are also prone to iron deficiency. This is because milk, their main food, is low in iron and too much milk can even block the absorption of iron from other foods.1617

You Need 8–18 mg Of Iron Per Day Depending On Age And Gender

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron is:

• 8 mg for men between 19 and 50 years of age and 18 mg for women the same age group
• 8 mg for both men and women from the age of 51
• 27 mg during pregnancy
• 7 to 15 mg for children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years, depending on age and gender

However, if you are a vegetarian, you need 1.8 times the amounts given above because plant foods contain a form of iron called nonheme iron which is less easily used by your body than heme iron present in non-vegetarian foods.18