What is Iron Deficiency Anaemia?
Iron deficiency anaemia is a common nutritional deficiency.
It mainly affects children, menstruating girls, pregnant and pre-menopausal women.
This condition develops when your body lacks enough iron to produce red blood cells. Iron is a key component of haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to other parts of your body.
What are the symptoms?
Common symptoms of iron deficiency include:
Fatigue
Dizziness
Pale skin
Shortness of breath
Heart palpitations
Low resistance to cold temperatures
Poor concentration and memory
What are the causes?
One of the primary causes of iron deficiency anaemia is poor nutrition, especially the absence of iron-rich foods in a diet. Other factors that may contribute to include:
Reduced or impaired iron absorption
Vitamin B9 (folate) and B12 (cobalamin) deficiency
Increased demand for iron in certain conditions like pregnancy and lactation
Blood loss in cases like menstruation and gastrointestinal bleeding
How to manage Anaemia
Here are some ways that iron deficiency anaemia can be managed or treated:
Incorporate iron-rich foods into your diet. E.g., red meat, beans, lentils, fish, and leafy green vegetables like ugu (pumpkin leaf) and spinach (efo shoko). Feel free to include tomatoes and citrus fruits in your diet. They would improve how your body absorbs iron because they are rich in vitamin C.
Iron supplements prescribed by your doctor.
Intravenous (IV) blood transfusion in cases of severe blood loss
If you are concerned about your iron levels, speak to your doctor to get a diagnosis and discuss treatment options.
Your doctor will perform comprehensive blood tests to confirm your blood levels.
