Eye symptoms of low iron can include a pale coloring of the inside of the lower eyelids. In moderate or severe cases of iron deficiency anemia, the inside layer of the lower eyelid is very pale pink or yellow instead of red.
Low iron levels can lead to problems throughout the body, including your eyes. The retina is the most vulnerable part of the eye and is susceptible to damage from iron deficiency anemia.
Because in anemia, the amount of hemoglobin will decrease. This is what gives red blood cells their red color. As a result, the capillaries, venules and even the lining of the eye will be paler than usual.
A blue sclera can be a sign of many conditions. In young children, the cause may be an inherited genetic condition, most often a condition that affects the connective tissue in your body. In adults, iron deficiency may cause your sclera to look blue. You generally won't have pain or other symptoms with a blue sclera.
Pale skin Hemoglobin gives skin its rosy color, so low levels cause the skin to become lighter. “When red blood cells become low in iron, they become smaller and paler in the center so skin also becomes paler,” Murr says.
There are lots of reasons someone can have blue "whites". Anything that results in a thinning of the sclera could cause it. For example, some medications, like steroids, can produce blue sclera. Not having enough iron in your blood (anemia) and aging have also been shown to give a blue tint to the whites of the eye.
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.
As they are exposed to light, melanin production increases, causing the color of their eyes to shift. However, eye color changes can also occur as a person ages. Those with lighter color eyes – especially Caucasians – may see their eyes lighten over time. The pigment slow degrades over time, resulting in less color.
Pernicious anemia causes the tongue's surface to look smooth and appear red instead of the pinkish color of a normal tongue. The tongue might also appear thick or beefy in texture. Some tongues might even be swollen or seem to have cracks.
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.
Koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail. The nail has raised ridges and is thin and curved inward. This disorder is associated with iron deficiency anemia.
Low iron intake resulting from diet and accelerated iron loss, which occurs through bleeding or breastfeeding, are the main causes of iron deficiency. The first symptoms of iron deficiency anemia tend to be neurological resulting in brain fog and fatigue.
Craving and chewing ice (pagophagia) is often associated with iron deficiency, with or without anemia, although the reason is unclear. At least one study indicates that ice chewing might increase alertness in people with iron deficiency anemia.
Yes. Low iron causes low energy, which may result in burning fewer calories and causing you to keep reducing your caloric intake to lose weight.
With aging or high blood lipid levels its clarity may change causing a cloudy appearance that the patient or observer may call "gray." Hence a brown or blue eye may turn gray. A scarred or swollen cornea also has a gray appearance.
In most people, the answer is no. Eye color fully matures in infancy and remains the same for life.
People with iron deficiency anemia may experience itchy skin (pruritis) that can become red, bumpy and sore when scratched. Rashes associated with aplastic anemia usually appear as tiny red or purple dots under your skin (petechiae). The dots can form large patches but aren't usually itchy or painful.
Iron and Hair Health. If you are not getting enough iron through your diet, you may experience excessive hair shedding (Telogen Effluvium). You may also find that your hair will not grow past a certain length.
Symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia are related to decreased oxygen delivery to the entire body and may include: Being pale or having yellow "sallow" skin. Unexplained fatigue or lack of energy. Shortness of breath or chest pain, especially with activity.
Tea, coffee and wine contain tannins that reduce iron absorption by binding to the iron and carrying it out of the body. Phytates and fibres found in wholegrains such as bran can reduce the absorption of iron and other minerals.