According to a study, about 9 percent of women suffer from an iron deficiency, but that number’s even higher for physically active women. In women, the number-one cause of iron deficiency is too-heavy periods, says Jacques Moritz, MD, director of gynaecology at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Roosevelt in New York City.
How can you tell if your levels are a little low? Be on the lookout for these 10 warning signs.
Fatigue
The most common symptom of all types of anaemia is fatigue (tiredness). Fatigue occurs because your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its many parts. Also, the red blood cells your body makes have less haemoglobin than normal. Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. When you don’t have enough healthy blood cells, you start to feel exhausted.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Some people who have iron-deficiency anaemia develop restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move the legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and unpleasant feelings in the legs. People who have RLS often have a hard time sleeping.
Breathlessness
If you notice yourself running out of breathe while doing things that you’d normally handle easily like climbing a fleet of stairs or knocking out your usual workout routine, then you know you might be lacking Iron. “Without enough iron in the blood, the body becomes starved for oxygen,” says Kimberly Mueller, R.D., owner of Fuel Factor Nutrition Coaching.
Unusually Pale Skin
Haemoglobin gives your blood its red colour; it is also responsible for the richness of your skin. “This means that low levels of protein can suck the colour off your skin,” says Dr. Moritz. If you have a light complexion, it’s pretty easy to spot. No matter your skin tone, though, if the inside of your lips, your gums, and the inside of your bottom eyelids are less red than usual, low iron may be to blame. So, a washed-out appearance can be caused by reduced blood flow and decreased number of red blood cells.
Pounding Heart
An overworked heart can end up suffering from irregular heartbeats, heart murmurs, enlargement, and even heart failure. Don’t freak out! Before those symptoms, you would probably have to suffer from iron deficiency anaemia for quite some time, suggests a review.
Headaches
According to a doctor – Dr. Berliner, an iron-deficient body will prioritize getting oxygen to your brain before it worries about other tissues, but even then, your noggin will still get less than it ideally should. In response, the brain’s arteries can swell, causing headaches, says a report from the National Headache Foundation.
Trouble Doing Your Normal Workout
Struggling to do the same number of laps you whizzed through a few weeks ago—even though you haven’t been slacking off on your workouts? Low iron levels can cause your endurance to suffer; hence, the distance you normally could cover will suddenly become a herculean task.
Brittle Nails
Even the cutest manicure or pedicure can’t hide thin, frail fingernails and toenails. If your nails are always brittle and looking thin and chapped, this is a sign that you have anaemia.
Pink or Red Urine
This is a very weird symptom and scary too! This is what happens when you eat beets and excrete reddish urine. While this occurs in 10 to 14 percent of normal people, Morriss says the number is much higher in people with an iron deficiency and is caused by increased intestinal absorption of certain pigments.
At the end of the day, if you notice any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor for medical advice.
The most common symptom of all types of anaemia is fatigue (tiredness). Fatigue occurs because your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its many parts. Also, the red blood cells your body makes have less haemoglobin than normal. Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. When you don’t have enough healthy blood cells, you start to feel exhausted.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Some people who have iron-deficiency anaemia develop restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move the legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and unpleasant feelings in the legs. People who have RLS often have a hard time sleeping.
Breathlessness
If you notice yourself running out of breathe while doing things that you’d normally handle easily like climbing a fleet of stairs or knocking out your usual workout routine, then you know you might be lacking Iron. “Without enough iron in the blood, the body becomes starved for oxygen,” says Kimberly Mueller, R.D., owner of Fuel Factor Nutrition Coaching.
Unusually Pale Skin
Haemoglobin gives your blood its red colour; it is also responsible for the richness of your skin. “This means that low levels of protein can suck the colour off your skin,” says Dr. Moritz. If you have a light complexion, it’s pretty easy to spot. No matter your skin tone, though, if the inside of your lips, your gums, and the inside of your bottom eyelids are less red than usual, low iron may be to blame. So, a washed-out appearance can be caused by reduced blood flow and decreased number of red blood cells.
Pounding Heart
An overworked heart can end up suffering from irregular heartbeats, heart murmurs, enlargement, and even heart failure. Don’t freak out! Before those symptoms, you would probably have to suffer from iron deficiency anaemia for quite some time, suggests a review.
Headaches
According to a doctor – Dr. Berliner, an iron-deficient body will prioritize getting oxygen to your brain before it worries about other tissues, but even then, your noggin will still get less than it ideally should. In response, the brain’s arteries can swell, causing headaches, says a report from the National Headache Foundation.
Trouble Doing Your Normal Workout
Struggling to do the same number of laps you whizzed through a few weeks ago—even though you haven’t been slacking off on your workouts? Low iron levels can cause your endurance to suffer; hence, the distance you normally could cover will suddenly become a herculean task.
Brittle Nails
Even the cutest manicure or pedicure can’t hide thin, frail fingernails and toenails. If your nails are always brittle and looking thin and chapped, this is a sign that you have anaemia.
Pink or Red Urine
This is a very weird symptom and scary too! This is what happens when you eat beets and excrete reddish urine. While this occurs in 10 to 14 percent of normal people, Morriss says the number is much higher in people with an iron deficiency and is caused by increased intestinal absorption of certain pigments.
At the end of the day, if you notice any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor for medical advice.
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