Women of childbearing age often face iron deficiency. Young girls, adult women, and even children are often deficient in iron, which may lead to several health issues, fatigue, and many other issues.
Iron is a major component in red blood cells, when human blood is deficient in iron, oxygen is not properly absorbed in the body which leads to anemia and associated illnesses. Here is everything you should know about iron deficiency in women.
Why Are Women Most Affected?
Women are mostly affected by iron deficiency. This is mainly because young girls and all women in their childbearing age lose a lot of blood and essential nutrients every month during menstruation. Moreover, women often do not pay attention to their diet, which leads to malnutrition.
Pregnant women also face iron deficiency and they are given intravenous iron supplements so that the growth of the fetus is not affected.
Symptoms And Causes Of Iron Deficiency
Women with iron deficiency always feel dizzy when they stand up too quickly or when they sit on their legs for too long. Some of the most prominent symptoms of iron deficiency are,
- Dizziness
- Pale skin
- General fatigue
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath after doing minor labor
- Tingling in feet and legs
- Restless legs
- Cold hands and feet
- Cravings for items with no nutritional value, such as munching on ice cubes
Iron deficiency can be caused by several reasons. Some of the most prominent reasons for the deficiency of iron in women are,
- Heavy bleeding during menstruation
- Pregnancy
- Inadequate intake of iron
- Internal bleeding due to stomach ulcers or any other related diseases
- Low ferritin in the blood, a compound responsible for absorbing iron in the body
- Genetics – certain celiac diseases that make it difficult for the body to absorb iron in the blood.
Consequences Of Iron Deficiency
When a woman is deficient in iron, pale skin, and dizziness are not the only issue that she might have to face. A woman may experience a rapid increase in her heartbeat, which may lead to heart failure. If a woman is pregnant, iron deficiency may lead to several complications including premature childbirth and improper growth of the fetus.
Young girls may experience delayed growth patterns and develop low immunity if they are constantly low in their iron levels.
How To Treat The Issue?
Treating iron deficiency requires proper care, medication, and attention to diet. Women should include iron-rich food in their diet. That means that you should eat more leafy greens, vegetables, aubergine, dry fruits, nuts, and red meat.
Unfortunately, women may not have time to pay much attention to proper diet. They may be mothers of working ladies who have little time to make proper meals for themselves. Supplementing yourself with a 25mg Non-GMO Iron Gummy Vitamin can help you maintain your daily iron intake.
Gummies are easier to chew and they are much more tasteful than pills. Moreover, you should make sure that you include enough vitamin C in your diet to help your body absorb iron.
