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.
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.
Research suggests that people with anemia may develop symptoms of depression, such as low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest in daily activities.
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. Rather than low iron, one common cause of blurry vision is dry 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.
Specifically, iron plays an important role in how your body makes the neurotransmitters called serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine – all of them important in mental health. Research suggests a connection between low iron levels and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, Levin and Gattari write.
"If you actually ask women who have iron deficiency what their symptoms are, fatigue and tiredness is there but right at the top of the list is brain fog and that's what women described — it's the inability to think clearly," says Professor Toby Richards.
When your body isn't getting enough oxygenation due to a lack of iron, you may find it hard to maintain focus and carry out your daily tasks. In addition, you may experience mood swings and irritability. Over time, in some cases, it may cause anxiety and depression. So, all these problems are interrelated.”
Extreme fatigue and exhaustion “Fatigue is one of the most common signs of iron deficiency because it means your body is having trouble carrying the oxygen to your cells so it's affecting your energy levels,” Thayer says. People lacking enough iron in their blood often feel sluggish, weak, and unable to focus.
If you are iron-deficient and need to increase your iron levels fast, the best strategy is to change your diet. Eating more iron-rich foods, pairing iron-rich foods with vitamin C, and avoiding certain foods that interfere with calcium absorption can help you to increase your iron levels.
Iron deficiency anemia most commonly affects babies 9 through 24 months old. Breastfed babies need less iron because iron is absorbed better when it is in breast milk. Formula with iron added (iron fortified) also provides enough iron.
The headache connection
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.
If you have iron deficiency, you may not realise it as you may just feel tired and run down. Low iron symptoms include: feeling fatigued (tired), listless and weak. short of breath, dizzy and light-headed.
Low iron levels are commonly found in individuals who have fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, and chronic muscle pain. 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.
While there's little scientific evidence backing this claim up, weight gain from iron pills does happen 6. One study found that individuals with iron deficiency anemia complained of weight gain during their treatment, even though oral preparations of iron aren't known to cause weight gain as a side effect.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey describes iron deficiency in women as a low concentration of ferritin (<12 ng/mL). Diagnosis prompts consideration of the cause of IDA (usually, bleeding).
The research is still developing in this area, but there is some evidence that if iron-deficient anaemia becomes severe, your body will stop menstruating in order to avoid losing more iron (your body also may stop ovulating, a key part of your menstrual cycle, if iron is too low).
Having a mineral deficiency like iron deficiency anemia can predispose people to hyperventilate and experience panic attacks at a higher rate than those without anemia. The presence of heavy metals in nervous system tissue is also linked with mental health issues.
Some people with iron deficiency anemia may experience no symptoms, while others will experience some of the more common symptoms of the condition. These symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, pale skin, headaches, and cold hands and feet.
Most people with iron deficiency have no symptoms, so taking iron pills may not result in any obvious changes to how they feel. A doctor can verify if the pills are working via a blood test. However, if a person does have anemia symptoms, they may notice they get better or go away entirely.