Table of contents:
- What are the symptoms of iron deficiency in the body?
- 1. Tiring easily
- 2. Pale face
- 3. Headache and dizziness
- 4. Heart palpitations
- 5. Hair loss
- 6. Swollen tongue and mouth
- 7. Restless leg syndrome
- 8. Nails are shaped like spoons
Iron is one of the essential minerals the body needs to form red blood cells. Its function is to transport oxygen throughout the body so that the organs can work properly. When the red blood cells in the body are reduced, the tissues and muscles of the body will certainly not get enough oxygen. As a result, organ function is disrupted and triggers symptoms of iron deficiency anemia, aka iron deficiency.
What are the symptoms of iron deficiency in the body?
Iron deficiency signs and symptoms vary from person to person. This will depend on your age, the severity of the anemia, and your current health condition. If the body is not in good shape, it is easier for you to experience iron deficiency, and you are also prone to other diseases.
Some of the most common symptoms of iron deficiency include:
1. Tiring easily
People who are deficient in iron often feel lethargic, tired, and have trouble focusing. Although this can also be caused by fatigue, it can also be a sign that your body doesn't have enough hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin itself is a protein found in red blood cells, its function is to help carry oxygen throughout the body. If the hemoglobin level in the body is low, the oxygen that will be circulated throughout the body will also decrease. As a result, the body's tissues and muscles lack energy.
Instead, the liver has to work harder to move more oxygen-rich blood around the body. As a result, your body becomes even more tired.
2. Pale face
The easiest way to tell if you are deficient in iron or not is to look at the color of the inside of your lower eyelid. Normally, the inside of the lower eyelid will appear fresh red. However, if the color tends to be lighter or pale white, then you could be iron deficient.
The red color of your blood is influenced by the hemoglobin content in red blood cells. The more hemoglobin content, the brighter and redder the blood will be. That is why, healthy people have fresh and reddish skin color because they are filled with hemoglobin in the blood.
On the other hand, iron deficiency makes your body appear pale. Not only on the skin, this condition can also occur on the face, gums, the inside of the lips, the inside of the lower eyelids, and even the nails.
3. Headache and dizziness
Although there are many causes for headaches, one of them can also be caused by iron deficiency. This symptom does not appear as often as other symptoms. However, headaches due to iron deficiency are usually accompanied by dizziness and lightheadedness.
In iron deficiency, low hemoglobin levels cause the brain to be deprived of oxygen. As a result, blood vessels in the brain swell and press on the cavity of the head, causing headaches.
4. Heart palpitations
When you are deficient in iron, low hemoglobin levels make the heart have to work hard to carry oxygen around the body. As a result, your heart will beat irregularly and very fast.
In extreme cases, this condition can cause an enlarged heart to heart failure. However, this usually occurs in people who have had iron deficiency for a long time.
5. Hair loss
Hair loss when shampooing or combing is a natural thing to happen. If this happens to excess, you could be iron deficient.
Again, this has something to do with low oxygen supply due to the depletion of hemoglobin levels in the blood. In this case, it is the hair follicles that are deprived of oxygen. That is why, hair falls out easily, even difficult to grow until your body gets enough iron intake.
6. Swollen tongue and mouth
Take a look at your mouth and tongue, does it look swollen or pale? If so, you may be consuming less iron-based foods.
Low hemoglobin in the blood can make the tongue pale. Low myoglobin levels can cause the tongue to feel sore and swollen.
Myoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that supports the strength of the body's muscles, one of which is the muscles that make up the tongue. In addition, iron deficiency can also cause dry mouth and sores, especially at the corners of the mouth.
7. Restless leg syndrome
In fact, about 25 percent of people with restless leg syndrome have iron deficiency anemia. The lower the iron intake, the worse the restless leg syndrome symptoms will be.
Restless leg syndrome is a condition when you often unconsciously shake your leg, even when you are resting. This urge to keep wiggling your legs can also cause a tingling sensation in your feet, calves, and thighs.
8. Nails are shaped like spoons
One of the symptoms of iron deficiency can be seen easily from the appearance of the nails. If your nails tend to be brittle and spoon-shaped, then you may be deficient in iron.
Nails that are shaped like spoons are called koilonychia. This condition usually begins with the condition of the nails which are brittle and easy to crack. When the body is not getting enough iron, the center of the nail will slowly push down and the edges lift, forming a spoon-like shape.
However, this usually occurs in cases of severe iron deficiency anemia. If you experience one or more of these symptoms, then immediately consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis.
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