What is Iron Deficiency and How Can It Be Treated?
Iron deficiency is a very common nutritional deficiency and is the number one cause of anemia. Iron is responsible for transporting oxygen to cells in your body (hemoglobin and myoglobin), and without oxygen, your cells will grow weaker. Iron also helps aid your immune system (More on the Benefits of Iron). The main factor in iron deficiency is blood loss, especially in women. Other causes may include: low iron diet, iron absorption blockers, illness (such as a fever) and hookworm. If you think you may have an iron deficiency problem, first check if you have any of the following symptoms: fever, hair loss, irritability, fatigue, brittle nails, worsening immune system, or Plummer-Vinson syndrome. Plummer-Vinson syndrome is when you feel a burning sensation with the tongue and oral mucosa. Minor conditions of iron deficiency can be cured with the aid of iron supplements and iron in the diet.
Iron Deficiency and Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome is when you have an uncontrollable urge to move your legs. It is not dangerous nor is it life-threatening, but can cause disrupt in sleep. Stress is the number one factor of this occurrence, but another factor is iron deficiency. People who have restless leg syndrome have been found to have a low content of iron in their blood. If you do have restless leg syndrome, please check your iron levels because this may be the cause! Do NOT overindulge in iron because the effects of an overdose may bee much worse than restless leg syndrome.
Iron Deficiency and Anxiety
Iron deficiency has been found to be linked with anxiety, or more specifically, panic attacks. Panic attacks are when you are engulfed by a sudden feeling of intense fear. Most would describe it as having a nervous breakdown or close to having a heart attack. Panic attacks are caused by anxiety, which happens due to lack of vitamins, lack of sleep, and the main factor, stress. Iron Deficiency and B-12 deficiency are also main causes of panic attacks, so be sure to have the minimal doses daily (RDA Table).
Iron Deficiency Hair Loss
Unfortunately, if you happen to have iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia, that could result in a horrible dilemma, which is iron deficiency hair loss. (The best way to keep your hair content, is to prevent iron deficiency!) If you are losing hair with no known cause, then check the symptoms of iron deficiency (anemia) just to make sure you don’t have it, as iron deficiency symptoms can go unnoticed, or viewed as a common illness. Though some say it is a controversial study, forty years of research shows otherwise. If you believe you have iron deficiency, do not go crazy taking iron supplements, as this will not help! Men should watch out when taking supplements, as they do not need it as much as women do, especially if they don’t even have iron deficiency! Eat a healthy diet, with iron in it of course, and only take the recommended amount of iron you should take a day (RDA Table). You should also make sure to intake vitamin c, as it helps your body absorb iron, which will prevent your hair from falling out! The best thing to do would be to see your doctor, to make sure that iron deficiency is or is not the cause of your hair loss, or to find out it’s genetics and your hair’s time has come.
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