Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon SymptomsRare SymptomsComplicationsWhen to See a DoctorFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Iron Deficiency Anemia GuideCauses and Risk Factors of Iron Deficiency Anemia
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Table of Contents
Common Symptoms
Rare Symptoms
Complications
When to See a Doctor
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Iron Deficiency Anemia Guide
Iron deficiency anemia(IDA) occurs when the body lacks the right amount of iron to produce enough healthyred blood cellsto carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. While there are different types of anemia, IDA is the most common worldwide, affecting over 1.2 billion people.
People with IDA that is mild or moderate may not experience symptoms. More severe cases of iron deficiency will cause chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
IDA needs to be addressed and treated. Left untreated, it is associated with depression, and can lead to heart problems, increased infection risk, developmental delays in children, and pregnancy complications.
Keep reading to learn about the symptoms and complications of IDA and when to see a doctor.
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Signs and symptoms of IDA depend on a variety of factors, including severity, how fast the condition develops, your age, and your health.
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.
Extreme Fatigue
Fatigueis one of the most common symptoms of IDA. It occurs when your body is unable to deliver enough oxygen to its cells, causing you to lack energy and feel tired.
The type of fatigue associated with IDA causes people to feel sluggish, weak, and unable to focus. While fatigue is a symptom associated with many different conditions, anytime you experience severe fatigue that doesn’t go away with adequate rest, you should reach out to your doctor to determine the source.
Shortness of Breath
For most healthy people, abundant oxygen makes its way to their heart, muscles, and organs. However, with anemia, your lungs need to compensate for all that reduced oxygen, which can lead to breathing problems, particularly shortness of breath.
According to the American Lung Association, shortness of breath is described as a “frightening sensation of being unable to breathe normally” or the feeling that you are being suffocated.Shortness of breath, medically calleddyspnea, can leave you struggling to take a full, deep breath as if you are not getting enough air into your lungs.
Symptoms you might experience with shortness of breath include:
With anemia, shortness of breath may come on gradually over time, or it can happen suddenly and out of the blue. You may even experience it when you are resting or sitting down.
Heart Palpitations
With anemia, heart palpitations are a sign your body is trying to compensate for a lack of oxygen. The body is circulating blood faster to make use of the littlehemoglobinthat is available. Hemoglobin is the iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all the body’s organs and tissues.
An ongoing rapidheart rateis not good for the heart or the body. Having low levels of oxygen makes the heart work extra hard, putting a lot of pressure on the heart and causing it to beat faster.
Pale Skin
Pale skin in people with anemia is the result of a lack of red blood cells and a lack of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. When the number of red blood cells becomes severely low, there are not enough cells to reach the skin’s surface.
Headaches
A 2019 study looked into the connection between IDA and the incidence of migraine.Researchers focused on a link between IDA, hemoglobin, blood iron levels, and migraine in females.
The researchers concluded that there might be an association between IDA and the incidence of migraines in females and thatiron supplementationcould be an effective treatment in people who experience migraines related to this type of anemia.
Cold Hands and Feet
Cold hands and feet could mean IDA. This type of anemia causes poor blood circulation throughout the body from the lack of red blood cells and the reduced oxygen to body tissues. The lack of oxygen will adjust sensations of hot and cold throughout the body.
There are other signs your iron is low. These are less common and might include tinnitus (ringing in the ears), restless legs syndrome, dry and damaged skin and hair, swelling and soreness of the tongue and mouth, pica (craving and eating nonfood items), and changes in fingernails.
Tinnitus
Tinnituscan be described as hearing ringing, buzzing, or hissing noises from the inner ear. When someone has anemia, increased blood flow to the heart causes it to work harder to pump blood between the heart and the brain. To do this, blood will flow through the middle ear, resulting in ringing and other sounds.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Dry and Damaged Skin and Hair
Having dry, damaged skin and hair could indicate IDA. Because iron deficiency lowers hemoglobin in the blood, it can reduce the cells that promote hair growth and skin regeneration. The oxygen depletion also causes hair and skin to become dry and weak.
Swelling and Soreness of the Tongue and Mouth
Pica
Anemia is associated with a symptom calledpica, an intense craving for eating nonfood and nonnutritive items, such as dirt, ice, and paper. Researchers think pica may be one way the body tries to make up for a lack of nutrients, including iron.
Brittle and Spoon-Shaped Nails
A condition called koilonychia, in which fingernails appear brittle or spoon shaped, can occur with IDA. Koilonychia affects around 5% of people with IDA.
The first sign of koilonychia is brittle nails that chip and crack very easily. As IDA becomes worse, the nails will start to appear spoon shaped, with a dip in the middle part of the nail and edges that are raised and rounded like a spoon.
Complications associated with IDA include the following:
Frequent Infections
Research has found that IDA can affect the immune system.This increases the body’s risk forinfection.
Heart Problems
IDA can cause a rapid or irregular heartbeat.The lack of hemoglobin-carrying red blood cells causes the heart to work harder to move oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
When the heart has to work harder, many different conditions can result, including aheart murmur, anenlarged heart, or heart failure.Untreated anemia can also worsen underlying heart problems.
Growth Problems in Children
For infants and children, iron deficiency can lead to delayed growth and developmental problems. IDA in childhood can affect the ability to gain weight and can lead to impaired behavior, cognition, and psychomotor skills.
Pregnancy Complications
Depression
In addition to the physical symptoms, IDA can increase your risk for depression,anxiety, and other mental health disorders. A large study reported in 2020 in the journalBMC Psychiatryfound people with IDA had higher incidences and an increased risk for anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, andpsychotic disorders.
Make an appointment with your doctor if you think you have symptoms of IDA. It is never a good idea to diagnose or treat anemia on your own. Overloading with iron can be dangerous because too much iron oriron toxicitycan damage the liver and cause other problems.
If your doctor suspects you have anemia, you may undergo tests to check for several properties in your blood.
Blood work might include:
How Anemia Is Diagnosed
Your doctor may order additional testing to determine an underlying cause of the iron deficiency. Additional testing is usually considered if treatment with iron supplementation has not been helpful.
Summary
Iron deficiency anemia reduces the capacity to get oxygen to the tissues of the body. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, pale skin, headaches, heart palpitations, and cold hands and feet.
Because untreated iron deficiency anemia can lead to complications, it’s best to see your doctor if you suspect you have IDA. Self-treatment is not recommended since taking in too much iron can result in iron toxicity.
Bloodwork is the only way to know for sure that you are anemic. Blood tests used to determine anemia include a complete blood count (CBC), hematocrit, hemoglobin, and ferritin levels.If you are prone to anemia, you may be able to recognize the symptoms as they return. Anemia affects people differently. Possible symptoms include:Brittle or spoon-shaped nailsCold hands and feetDizzinessDry and damaged skin and hairFatigueHeadaches and migrainesHeart palpitationsPale skinRestless legs syndromeShortness of breathSores or swelling on the tongue and mouthTinnitus
Bloodwork is the only way to know for sure that you are anemic. Blood tests used to determine anemia include a complete blood count (CBC), hematocrit, hemoglobin, and ferritin levels.
If you are prone to anemia, you may be able to recognize the symptoms as they return. Anemia affects people differently. Possible symptoms include:
Yes, there are a few different types of at-home anemia tests on the market. The most accurate are mail-in test kits, where you take a blood sample at home and mail it into a lab. Mail-in kits include theLetsGet Checked Iron Testand theCerrascreen Ferritin Test.
Another method for testing anemia at home is a finger cuff, similar to testing oxygen levels. TheOrSense NBM 200uses unique technology to estimate hemoglobin levels. However, the monitor can cost upwards of $1,000.
If heavy menstrual periods are causing anemia, your doctor may recommend hormone therapies such as birth control pills that can reduce your monthly flow. Your gynecologist will also check for other causes of heavy periods, such as uterine fibroids or endometriosis, and recommend appropriate treatments.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Camaschella C.Iron deficiency.Blood. 2019 Jan 3;133(1):30-39. doi:10.1182/blood-2018-05-815944American Lung Association.Shortness of breath.Marine J. Johns Hopkins Medicine.When to evaluate heart palpitations.Cleveland Clinic.Heart palpitations.The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Your guide to anemia.Sim PY, Taribagil P, Woollacott IOC, Rashid S, Kidd DP.Idiopathic intracranial hypertension presenting as IDA: a case report.J Med Case Rep. 2021;15(1):45. doi:10.1186/s13256-020-02631-2Tayyebi A, Poursadeghfard M, Nazeri M, et al.Is there any correlation between migraine attacks and IDA? A case-control study.Chatterjee P.A study of prevalence of anemia along with its diagnosis and treatment.Hematol Transfus Int J. 2018;6(2):82-85. doi:10.15406/htij.2018.06.00158Allen RP, Auerbach S, Bahrain H, et al.The prevalence and impact of restless legs syndrome on patients with IDA.Am J Hematol.2013 Apr;88(4):261-4. doi:10.1002/ajh.23397Lopez A, Cacoub P, Macdougall IC, et al.Iron deficiency anaemia.Lancet. 2016 Feb 27;387(10021):907-16. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60865-0.Advani S, Kochhar G, Chachra S, Dhawan P.Eating everything except food (PICA): A rare case report and review.J Int Soc Prev CommunityDent. 2014;4(1):1-4. doi:10.4103/2231-0762.127851Razmi T M, Nampoothiri RV, Dogra S.Koilonychia in iron deficiency.QJM. 2018 Apr 1;111(4):271-272. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcx229Hassan TH, Badr MA, Karam NA, et al.Impact of IDA on the function of the immune system in children.Medicine(Baltimore). 2016;95(47):e5395. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000005395Anand IS, Gupta P.Anemia and iron deficiency in heart failure: current concepts and emerging therapies.Circulation. 2018 Jul 3;138(1):80-98. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.030099Soliman AT, De Sanctis V, Kalra S.Anemia and growth.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014;18(Suppl 1):S1-S5. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.145038Abu-Ouf NM, Jan MM.The impact of maternal iron deficiency and IDA on child’s health. Saudi Med J. 2015;36(2):146-149. doi:10.15537/smj.2015.2.10289Lee HS, Chao HH, Huang WT, et al.Psychiatric disorders risk in patients with IDA and association with iron supplementation medications: a nationwide database analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 May 11;20(1):216. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-02621-0American Red Cross.What does hematocrit mean?
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Camaschella C.Iron deficiency.Blood. 2019 Jan 3;133(1):30-39. doi:10.1182/blood-2018-05-815944American Lung Association.Shortness of breath.Marine J. Johns Hopkins Medicine.When to evaluate heart palpitations.Cleveland Clinic.Heart palpitations.The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Your guide to anemia.Sim PY, Taribagil P, Woollacott IOC, Rashid S, Kidd DP.Idiopathic intracranial hypertension presenting as IDA: a case report.J Med Case Rep. 2021;15(1):45. doi:10.1186/s13256-020-02631-2Tayyebi A, Poursadeghfard M, Nazeri M, et al.Is there any correlation between migraine attacks and IDA? A case-control study.Chatterjee P.A study of prevalence of anemia along with its diagnosis and treatment.Hematol Transfus Int J. 2018;6(2):82-85. doi:10.15406/htij.2018.06.00158Allen RP, Auerbach S, Bahrain H, et al.The prevalence and impact of restless legs syndrome on patients with IDA.Am J Hematol.2013 Apr;88(4):261-4. doi:10.1002/ajh.23397Lopez A, Cacoub P, Macdougall IC, et al.Iron deficiency anaemia.Lancet. 2016 Feb 27;387(10021):907-16. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60865-0.Advani S, Kochhar G, Chachra S, Dhawan P.Eating everything except food (PICA): A rare case report and review.J Int Soc Prev CommunityDent. 2014;4(1):1-4. doi:10.4103/2231-0762.127851Razmi T M, Nampoothiri RV, Dogra S.Koilonychia in iron deficiency.QJM. 2018 Apr 1;111(4):271-272. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcx229Hassan TH, Badr MA, Karam NA, et al.Impact of IDA on the function of the immune system in children.Medicine(Baltimore). 2016;95(47):e5395. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000005395Anand IS, Gupta P.Anemia and iron deficiency in heart failure: current concepts and emerging therapies.Circulation. 2018 Jul 3;138(1):80-98. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.030099Soliman AT, De Sanctis V, Kalra S.Anemia and growth.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014;18(Suppl 1):S1-S5. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.145038Abu-Ouf NM, Jan MM.The impact of maternal iron deficiency and IDA on child’s health. Saudi Med J. 2015;36(2):146-149. doi:10.15537/smj.2015.2.10289Lee HS, Chao HH, Huang WT, et al.Psychiatric disorders risk in patients with IDA and association with iron supplementation medications: a nationwide database analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 May 11;20(1):216. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-02621-0American Red Cross.What does hematocrit mean?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Camaschella C.Iron deficiency.Blood. 2019 Jan 3;133(1):30-39. doi:10.1182/blood-2018-05-815944American Lung Association.Shortness of breath.Marine J. Johns Hopkins Medicine.When to evaluate heart palpitations.Cleveland Clinic.Heart palpitations.The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Your guide to anemia.Sim PY, Taribagil P, Woollacott IOC, Rashid S, Kidd DP.Idiopathic intracranial hypertension presenting as IDA: a case report.J Med Case Rep. 2021;15(1):45. doi:10.1186/s13256-020-02631-2Tayyebi A, Poursadeghfard M, Nazeri M, et al.Is there any correlation between migraine attacks and IDA? A case-control study.Chatterjee P.A study of prevalence of anemia along with its diagnosis and treatment.Hematol Transfus Int J. 2018;6(2):82-85. doi:10.15406/htij.2018.06.00158Allen RP, Auerbach S, Bahrain H, et al.The prevalence and impact of restless legs syndrome on patients with IDA.Am J Hematol.2013 Apr;88(4):261-4. doi:10.1002/ajh.23397Lopez A, Cacoub P, Macdougall IC, et al.Iron deficiency anaemia.Lancet. 2016 Feb 27;387(10021):907-16. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60865-0.Advani S, Kochhar G, Chachra S, Dhawan P.Eating everything except food (PICA): A rare case report and review.J Int Soc Prev CommunityDent. 2014;4(1):1-4. doi:10.4103/2231-0762.127851Razmi T M, Nampoothiri RV, Dogra S.Koilonychia in iron deficiency.QJM. 2018 Apr 1;111(4):271-272. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcx229Hassan TH, Badr MA, Karam NA, et al.Impact of IDA on the function of the immune system in children.Medicine(Baltimore). 2016;95(47):e5395. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000005395Anand IS, Gupta P.Anemia and iron deficiency in heart failure: current concepts and emerging therapies.Circulation. 2018 Jul 3;138(1):80-98. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.030099Soliman AT, De Sanctis V, Kalra S.Anemia and growth.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014;18(Suppl 1):S1-S5. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.145038Abu-Ouf NM, Jan MM.The impact of maternal iron deficiency and IDA on child’s health. Saudi Med J. 2015;36(2):146-149. doi:10.15537/smj.2015.2.10289Lee HS, Chao HH, Huang WT, et al.Psychiatric disorders risk in patients with IDA and association with iron supplementation medications: a nationwide database analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 May 11;20(1):216. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-02621-0American Red Cross.What does hematocrit mean?
Camaschella C.Iron deficiency.Blood. 2019 Jan 3;133(1):30-39. doi:10.1182/blood-2018-05-815944
American Lung Association.Shortness of breath.
Marine J. Johns Hopkins Medicine.When to evaluate heart palpitations.
Cleveland Clinic.Heart palpitations.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Your guide to anemia.
Sim PY, Taribagil P, Woollacott IOC, Rashid S, Kidd DP.Idiopathic intracranial hypertension presenting as IDA: a case report.J Med Case Rep. 2021;15(1):45. doi:10.1186/s13256-020-02631-2
Tayyebi A, Poursadeghfard M, Nazeri M, et al.Is there any correlation between migraine attacks and IDA? A case-control study.
Chatterjee P.A study of prevalence of anemia along with its diagnosis and treatment.Hematol Transfus Int J. 2018;6(2):82-85. doi:10.15406/htij.2018.06.00158
Allen RP, Auerbach S, Bahrain H, et al.The prevalence and impact of restless legs syndrome on patients with IDA.Am J Hematol.2013 Apr;88(4):261-4. doi:10.1002/ajh.23397
Lopez A, Cacoub P, Macdougall IC, et al.Iron deficiency anaemia.Lancet. 2016 Feb 27;387(10021):907-16. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60865-0.
Advani S, Kochhar G, Chachra S, Dhawan P.Eating everything except food (PICA): A rare case report and review.J Int Soc Prev CommunityDent. 2014;4(1):1-4. doi:10.4103/2231-0762.127851
Razmi T M, Nampoothiri RV, Dogra S.Koilonychia in iron deficiency.QJM. 2018 Apr 1;111(4):271-272. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcx229
Hassan TH, Badr MA, Karam NA, et al.Impact of IDA on the function of the immune system in children.Medicine(Baltimore). 2016;95(47):e5395. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000005395
Anand IS, Gupta P.Anemia and iron deficiency in heart failure: current concepts and emerging therapies.Circulation. 2018 Jul 3;138(1):80-98. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.030099
Soliman AT, De Sanctis V, Kalra S.Anemia and growth.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014;18(Suppl 1):S1-S5. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.145038
Abu-Ouf NM, Jan MM.The impact of maternal iron deficiency and IDA on child’s health. Saudi Med J. 2015;36(2):146-149. doi:10.15537/smj.2015.2.10289
Lee HS, Chao HH, Huang WT, et al.Psychiatric disorders risk in patients with IDA and association with iron supplementation medications: a nationwide database analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 May 11;20(1):216. doi:10.1186/s12888-020-02621-0
American Red Cross.What does hematocrit mean?
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