Iron deficiency : symptoms that you should not ignore

What is iron deficiency?

Iron deficiency is most often associated with the development of anemia, a condition in which a deficiency of healthy red blood cells is produced. Iron aids in protein metabolism and plays a role in the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells, helping to prevent the onset of anemia.

Anemija zbog nedostatka željeza je uobičajeno stanje koje se lako liječi ako nemate dovoljno željeza u tijelu. Niske razine željeza obično su posljedica gubitka krvi, loše prehrane ili nemogućnosti apsorpcije dovoljno željeza iz hrane. 

Iron is needed to produce hemoglobin, a type of protein found in red blood cells that has the role of transporting oxygen from the lungs and transporting it through the body to the cells. Iron deficiency can mean that you are unable to produce enough red blood cells that carry oxygen – therefore, your body struggles to transport oxygen to the brain, tissues, muscles, and cells, making you feel exhausted and weak.

In addition to preventing anemia, iron is a nutrient needed to maintain overall well-being, energy, and a healthy metabolism as it helps support overall cellular health and is involved in many enzyme functions. Iron plays a role in many enzymatic reactions that help our body digest food and absorb nutrients. These reactions also balance hormone levels and support brain, heart, skin, hair, nails, and metabolism health. (Most of the 3-4 grams of elemental iron present in our body is in the form of hemoglobin. The remaining iron is stored in the liver, spleen and bone marrow or is found in the myoglobin of our muscle tissue.
Symptoms

Iron deficiency can lead to the following conditions and symptoms:

Anemija
Kronični umor ili niska energija
Blijeda ili žuta koža
Kratkoća daha
Abnormalni otkucaji srca
Znakovi hormonske neravnoteže
Problemi s vježbanjem
Slabost mišića
Promjene u apetitu
Problemi s dobrim spavanjem
Promjene u težini
Kašalj
Poteškoće s koncentracijom, učenjem, pamćenjem stvari
Rane na ustima ili jeziku
Promjene raspoloženja
Vrtoglavica
Čudna žudnja za jelom stvari koje nisu hrana, poput prljavštine, leda ili gline
Osjećaj trnaca ili puzanja u nogama
Oticanje ili bolnost jezika
Hladne ruke i stopala
Brzi ili nepravilni otkucaji srca
Krhki nokti
Glavobolje
Slaba koncentracija
Oslabljen imunološki sustav
Propuštanje crijeva ili IBS

People at higher risk of iron deficiency anemia include:

Žene u reproduktivnoj dobi, osobito žene s obilnim menstrualnim krvarenjem
Trudna žena
Osobe s lošom prehranom
Ljudi koji često daju krv
Dojenčad i djeca, osobito ona prerano rođena ili koja doživljavaju nagli rast
Pacijenti s rakom
Osobe sa zatajenjem srca
Ljudi koji imaju gastrointestinalne poremećaje ili su imali gastrointestinalne operacije
Vegetarijanci koji meso ne zamjenjuju drugom hranom bogatom željezom

Eating iron-rich foods is especially important for premenopausal women, who have higher iron needs than men due to monthly blood loss. If you’re low on iron, it’s also important to get plenty of vitamin C in your diet, as it increases iron absorption. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iron is eight milligrams per day for men and older women, while premenopausal women need 18 milligrams per day. The RDA for vegetarians is 1.8 times higher than those who eat meat due to the fact that the heme iron in meat is more bioavailable than non-heme iron from plant foods. Also, meat, poultry, and seafood increase the absorption of non-heme iron.
Risk factors

There are factors that also put you at a higher risk of iron deficiency. The most common reasons for iron deficiency are:

Ako slijedite vegetarijansku ili vegansku prehranu (koja ne uključuje životinjske izvore proteina koji su prirodno bogati željezom)
Ako puno vježbate (što ponekad može oštetiti crvena krvna zrnca)
Ako ste trudni ili dojite
Ako ste ikada imali zatajenje bubrega
Ako ste podvrgnuti ili ste bili podvrgnuti tretmanu dijalizom, koji može ukloniti željezo iz tijela
Ako ste u prošlosti imali čireve
Ako imate poznate gastrointestinalne poremećaje koji mogu ograničiti vašu sposobnost apsorpcije nu trijenata, kao što su celijakija, Crohnova bolest ili ulcerozni kolitis
Ako uzimate veliku količinu antacida, jer oni sadrže kalcij koji može spriječiti apsorpciju željeza
Ako ste nedavno imali operaciju ili ste izgubili krv iz bilo kojeg razloga, poput darivanja krvi
Dob i spol (vidi dolje)

The amount of iron someone needs per day to prevent iron deficiency varies greatly depending on age and gender. Women need more iron than men because they lose a certain amount of iron each month during a normal menstrual cycle.

Starting around adolescence when a woman begins to have a menstrual cycle, her daily iron needs increase, but then the level will decrease again as the woman reaches menopause. Women between the ages of 19 and 50 should consume the most iron of any group – about 18 milligrams of iron each day.

However, men of the same age can get away with much less and will still be at lower risk of iron deficiency. Men only need about 8 milligrams of iron per day.

Recommended daily doses:

Djeca od 1 do 3 godine: 7 miligrama
Djeca od 4 do 8 godina: 10 miligrama
Djeca od 9 do 13 godina: 8 miligrama
Žene od 14 do 18 godina: 15 miligrama
Muškarci od 14 do 18 godina: 11 miligrama
Žene u dobi od 19 do 50 godina: 18 miligrama
Trudnice i dojilje: 27 miligrama
Muškarci od 19+: 8 miligrama
Žene u dobi od 51+: 8 miligrama

As you will notice, young children need more iron than children because iron supports the process of growth and cognitive development. It can be difficult for young children to get enough iron from their diet alone, especially if they are “picky eaters” – so a blood test during a child’s annual check-up can identify iron deficiency before it becomes a bigger problem. Breast milk is believed to contain highly bioavailable iron, but in amounts that are not enough to meet the needs of infants older than 4-6 months. It is best for babies to start eating solid foods that are naturally rich in bioavailable iron, or to eat iron-fortified foods or formula as soon as they are able. Women who are pregnant may need more iron than the general population, so it is recommended that they take iron as part of a prenatal vitamin complex. However, this correlation is not very clear; Unless a woman already has iron deficiency anemia, taking supplemental iron in supplement form does not appear to have a long-term effect on the outcome of labor. Finally, anyone who has lost blood due to recent surgery may want to supplement with iron to prevent signs of iron deficiency.