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.
Children can appear unmotivated, apathetic and less physically fit. Anemic children have difficulty with tests and are more disruptive than their classmates. A child with nutrient deficiencies may be irritable, aggressive, disagreeable, or sad and withdrawn.
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.” Another key symptom of iron deficiency is fatigue.
Anemia was established to be associated with a decline in cognitive functions between older patients > 65 years old [7,9]. Anemia can cause cerebral anemia, ischemia, cognitive disorders, and dementia, especially in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [7].
Stress is believed to affect the vitamin metabolism in your body. So, if you are under a lot of stress, your body uses up a lot of magnesium. Again, if you are suffering from both stress and anxiety, the level of magnesium in your body might reach a minimum level, thus causing mild anaemia.
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.
"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.
Summary: Recent research emphasizes the role of iron, an often overlooked nutrient, in maintaining mental health. Researchers suggest iron deficiency could exacerbate mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
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.
Iron is needed to both make and break down neurotransmitters in the brain – not to mention carry oxygen to the brain. Besides imbalanced neurotransmitter chemistry, children with anemia will have more learning problems or can be more distractible when their brains are not perfused (oxygenated) to optimal levels.
Those with iron deficiency or anemia can experience a host of psychological symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, depression, and a decrease in cognitive abilities (including poor concentration).
Anemia is a problem of not having enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body's tissues. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all other organs in the body. Having anemia can cause tiredness, weakness and shortness of breath.
Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia
The most common symptoms include: tiredness and lack of energy (lethargy) shortness of breath. noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations)
Iron deficiency anemia can produce symptoms such as fatigue that impact your daily life. It can increase your risk of anxiety and depression. You can use strategies to manage the fatigue, including changes to sleep, diet, and activity. You may need help and support from family, friends, and medical professionals.
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.
Brain iron deficiency is associated with disruption of neurophysiological mechanisms that, within a social context that does not provide regular stimuli, compromises motor and cognitive development (e.g., impaired motor sequencing and bi-manual coordination, poor executive function, attention, and memory).
Many different vitamin deficiencies can lead to anemia. Anemia itself can also cause anxiety as a symptom. Those that are anemic are placing their body under a great deal of stress, and this often sends messages to the brain to be more anxious.
Psychiatric manifestations are frequently associated with pernicious anemia including depression, mania, psychosis, dementia.
A sudden lack of energy and chronic fatigue are warning signs that you might be lacking enough iron. In order for all of the cells in your body to function efficiently, oxygen needs to be able to travel freely around the body.
Sometimes iron deficiency will present as anxiety, depression, irritability, and even poor concentration and general restlessness.
The last stage is iron deficiency anemia. It is characterized by a low hemoglobin concentration with small (microcytic), pale (hypochromic) RBCs. Symptoms include fatigue upon exertion, weakness, headaches, apathy, pallor, poor resistance to cold temperatures, low physical work capacity, and poor immune function.
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.
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.