There is no evidence that low iron causes blurred vision. However, low iron can cause retinal changes leading to anemic retinopathy. Eye symptoms of low iron can include a pale coloring of the inside of the lower eyelids.
Excess iron has potential to cause oxidative damage. Increased accumulation of iron is believed to contribute to age-related macular degeneration. A study by Menghini et al. assessed for drusen and other retinal changes in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis.
Anemia causes retinal hypoxia, which leads to infarction of the nerve fiber layer and clinically manifests as cotton wool spots. Retinal hypoxia also leads to vascular dilatation; increased transmural pressure owing to hypoproteinemia; and microtraumas to the vessel walls, which cause retinal edema and hemorrhages.
Severe iron deficiency anaemia may increase your risk of developing complications that affect the heart or lungs, such as an abnormally fast heartbeat (tachycardia) or heart failure, where your heart is unable to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.
Undiagnosed or untreated iron-deficiency anemia may cause serious complications such as fatigue, headaches, restless legs syndrome, heart problems, pregnancy complications, and developmental delays in children. Iron-deficiency anemia can also make other chronic conditions worse or cause their treatments to work poorly.
Common causes of iron deficiency include not getting enough iron in your diet, chronic blood loss, pregnancy and vigorous exercise. Some people become iron deficient if they are unable to absorb iron. Iron deficiency can be treated by adding iron-rich foods to the diet.
Iron-Rich Foods
Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry. It is the form of iron that is most readily absorbed by your body. You absorb up to 30 percent of the heme iron that you consume. Eating meat generally boosts your iron levels far more than eating non-heme iron.
– It usually takes 2 to 3 weeks of taking regular iron supplements before your symptoms start to improve. – You may need to keep taking iron for several months to build up your iron reserves and keep your anemia from returning. Take your pills for as long as your doctor recommends, even if your symptoms have improved.
Blurred vision can be caused by eye conditions, including: difficulty focusing your eyesight, such as with near-sightedness or far-sightedness. astigmatism (when the surface of the eye isn't curved properly) presbyopia (when your eyes find it harder to focus as you age)
ANEMIA AFFECTS THE EYES: Anemia can affect the eyes, especially the retina, or the inside of the eye which captures images and sends them to the brain. Sometimes anemia, or low blood count, can even cause bleeding in your eyes and loss of vision.
People with sickle cell anemia usually have no ocular symptoms; however, when the disease affects the eyes, patients may have decreased vision, flashes and floaters.
Disturbed or blurred vision can also occur as a result of a Vitamin B12 deficiency. This happens when the deficiency causes damage to the optic nerve that leads to your eyes. The nervous signal that travels from the eye to the brain is disturbed due to this damage, leading to impaired vision.
Iron is a necessary mineral for many of the body's functions, including vision.
A large 2020 study in BMC Psychiatry found that people with iron deficiency anemia had a significantly higher incidence and risk of anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disorder, and psychotic disorders.
Iron-rich drinks include apple juice, apricot nectar, beef broth, beet juice, cocoa using natural cocoa powder, “green” smoothies, orange juice, pea protein smoothies, prune juice, tomato juice, and spinach juice.
Dried fruits like prunes, raisins and apricots are good sources of iron. 100 grams of prunes contain 0.93 mg of iron while raisins contain 2.6 mg of iron. Apricots have 6.3 mg of iron per 100 grams.
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 treatment, most people recover from iron-deficiency anemia in 2 to 3 months. You may need to take iron supplements for several months longer, though, to build up your reserves of iron.
Iron Supplement (Ferrous Sulfate) Ferrous sulfate is an iron supplement you may use to treat iron-deficiency anemia. You may need ferrous sulfate if you don't get enough iron through the foods you eat. Ferrous sulfate comes in tablet and liquid form.
Iron deficiency can't be corrected overnight. You may need to take iron supplements for several months or longer to replenish your iron reserves. Generally, you'll start to feel better after a week or so of treatment. Ask your doctor when to have your blood rechecked to measure your iron levels.
If left untreated, iron-deficiency anemia can cause serious health problems. Having too little oxygen in the body can damage organs. With anemia, the heart must work harder to make up for the lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin. This extra work can harm the heart.
Living with anemia
Following treatment, most people go on to live normal, healthy lives. However, anemia can have lasting, or life-threatening, effects. These are more common if the condition is chronic, severe, or left untreated.