In addition to common anemia symptoms, such as dizziness, shortness of breath, and fatigue, some people report back pain.
The Low Iron Sore Muscles Connection
The American Society of Hematology has suggested that people with iron deficiencies may experience trigger point pain in their muscles that results from a lack of oxygen being delivered to them.
A case-control study reported all serum levels of minerals including Fe were significantly different in low back pain patients compared to healthy individuals (16). A strong link between serum iron and the severity of low back pain was reported (16).
If you remember, anemia makes it so your organs don't get enough blood to function at 100%. When this happens in your brain, the blood vessels in your brain swell and cause the pressure that sets off a headache. This same pressure may also cause lightheadedness or dizziness.
It is not uncommon for an iron deficiency to present alongside uncomfortable gut symptoms like gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
What are the symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia? People with mild or moderate iron-deficiency anemia may not have any symptoms. More serious iron-deficiency anemia may cause common symptoms of anemia, such as tiredness, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
Conclusions: Although Iron and vitamin D deficiency cannot be isolated as the sole risk factors of chronic neck pain, they should be considered as two modifiable risk. The high prevalence of chronic neck pain, hypovitaminosis D and low ferritin amongst women is of concern.
Common areas of pain include ribs, spine, pelvis, breast bone, abdomen and long bones of the legs and arms. This may be a throbbing, sharp and shooting or throbbing pain. Symptoms can be severe and episodes can last from a few minutes to several weeks with an average duration of around 5-7 days.
Furthermore, headache and muscle and joint pain associated with iron deficiency are repeatedly considered migraine and fibromyalgia syndrome, respectively 3, 19. The multitude of symptoms is commonly associated low ferritin concentration without anemia 1, 17, 20, 21, 22.
Dr. Quiery noted that the major symptoms of anemia include fatigue, muscle cramps, dizziness and becoming winded with exertion, like climbing a flight of stairs. An odder symptom is the desire to chew on ice.
People who are anemic most often experience fatigue. While it's normal to feel tired after a long day at work or a heavy exercise session, when you're anemic, you feel weary after shorter and shorter periods of exertion as your body's cells become starved for oxygen.
Call Your Doctor About Anemia If:
Persistent fatigue, breathlessness, rapid heart rate, pale skin, or any other symptoms of anemia; seek emergency care for any trouble breathing or change in your heart beat.
One of the best ways to manage anemia-related fatigue is to try and get sufficient sleep. However, you will want to avoid sleeping too much because that will add to fatigue. Instead, aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Naps are fine but limit yourself to one short 20- to 30-minute nap a day.
Conditions commonly linked to back pain include: Muscle or ligament strain. Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments. For people in poor physical condition, constant strain on the back can cause painful muscle spasms.
Left untreated, however, iron-deficiency anemia can make you feel tired and weak. You may notice pale skin and cold hands and feet. Iron-deficiency anemia can also cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded. Occasionally, it can cause chest pain, a fast heartbeat and shortness of breath.
Untreated iron deficiency anaemia: can make you more at risk of illness and infection – a lack of iron affects the immune system. may increase your risk of developing complications that affect the heart or lungs – such as an abnormally fast heartbeat (tachycardia) or heart failure.
Severe iron-deficiency anemia may require a blood transfusion, iron injections, or intravenous (IV) iron therapy. Treatment may need to be done in a hospital.
As the anemia gets worse, symptoms may include: Brittle nails. Blue color to the whites of the eye. Desire to eat ice or other non-food things (pica)
You may also find that low iron causes weight gain. There are a couple of reasons for this; firstly, your energy levels are low and so your exercise levels reduce; secondly, iron is essential for thyroid function, and an underactive thyroid will lead to weight gain.
With low iron, your body cannot manufacture enough hemoglobin in red blood cells to allow them to transport oxygen. It causes fatigue and shortness of breath. The connection between low iron, body weight, and hemoglobin is apparent when low energy makes exercising and burning calories difficult, causing weight gain.