Anaemia due to iron deficiency
A summary of review by Dr. Rachel Green, & Dr Partick Davey, taken from NETDOCTOR.CO.UK
What causes iron deficiency?
In Adults, the most common cause of iron deficiency is losing blood faster than the body can remake it.
A lack of iron in the diet is common in vegetarians because the main general dietary source is red meat.
Reduced absorbtion from the intestine of iron can be caused by diseases of the small intestine such as gluten intolerance (coeliac sprue) or Crohn’s disease
Iron deficiency is more frequent in women who smoke, eat a diet low in iron and have heavy periods.
What are the symptoms of anaemia due to iron deficiency?
The first symptoms will be tiredness and palpitations (awareness of the heartbeat).
there will be unique symptoms in pronounced and long-term cases of iron deficiency, and include:
A burning sensation in the tongue, & smooth tongue.
Dryness in the mouth and throat.
Sores at the corners of the mouth.
An altered sense of touch.
In extreme cases the nails can become brittle and spoon shaped, with vertical stripes and a tendency to fray.
A ‘pica’ can arise – an insatiable craving for a specific food, eg liquorice.
Brittle hair.
Difficulty in swallowing.
What can be done to avoid anaemia?
Eat a varied diet.
Good sources of iron include liver, beef, wholemeal bread, cereals, eggs and dried fruit.
A doctor should always be consulted immediately if there is loss of blood in the stools or urine. or if there are persistently heavy periods.
Iron preparations In tablet form will rapidly reverse anaemia if the underlying cause of blood loss has been treated. The tablets can irritate the stomach and should be taken after food. Iron tablets may colour the stools black, and may cause constipation, or sometimes diarrhoea.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MATERIAL IN THESE PAGES IS IN NO WAY INTENDED TO REPLACE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE, OR ATTENTION BY A QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER, AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A BASIS FOR DIAGNOSIS OR CHOICE OF TREATMENT.
Updated July 2003