Do you have Iron Deficiency Anaemia?
If you haven’t thought about this question yet, maybe you should start now! According to the World Health Organization, more that 25% of the world’s population suffers from anaemia, and almost half of these cases are occurring in people due to low iron levels, and that constitutes almost 2 billion people around the world! The question is, if the cases are a staggering 2 billion people around the world, then why do we not know more about such cases, and why are people not being treated for the same? One of the biggest reasons is, that the symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anaemia are very non-specific. This means that the symptoms for Iron Deficiency Anaemia can be easily confused as symptoms for other illnesses. They can also disappear for some time and return, which might cause a lot of confusion. But what exactly is Iron Deficiency Anaemia?
Our blood mainly comprises of three types of cells, white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. The WBC’s play a large role in keeping our body, as they play a large role in our immune system. The RBC’s are responsible for aiding the transfer of oxygen throughout our body, and they comprise of about 40–50% of the blood in our body. The RBC’s contain haemoglobin, which in turn contains iron which enables the RBC’s to do their job more efficiently. Iron Deficiency Anaemia occurs when the iron in RBC’s isn’t sufficient and thus the haemoglobin levels drop in the red blood cells.
Causes of Iron Deficiency Anaemia
One of the most common causes of iron deficiency anaemia is pregnancy. During pregnancy, the body needs a lot of oxygen to be carried from one part to the other, and keeps intensifying as the pregnancy progresses. Which is why, expecting mothers need to be taken care of during this period, and you should make sure that their iron levels are healthy. The best way to do this is to consume a lot of iron rich foods, especially during pregnancy. Other causes include a significant loss of blood. This can have various reasons ranging from heavy periods, internal bleeding, to excessive bleeding caused due a medical procedure or surgery. It is highly recommended that you must visit a doctor whenever you experience any of the symptoms. Let us take a look at some of the symptoms of IDA.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anaemia:
1. Exhaustion: Ranging from sluggish to a full-blown flu like exhaustion where even the most basic activities become tiring.
2. Dizziness
3. Fainting
4. Headache
5. Chest pain
6. Hair-loss
7. Cold hands and feet
8. Pale or off-colouring in skin
How to treat IDA?
The best way to treat iron deficiency anaemia is to make sure you consume a lot of iron rich foods such as red meat and green vegetables. You can also go for iron supplements and over-the-counter medication to counter this issue.
