Introduction
Around 600,000,000 people worldwide suffer from a relevant iron deficiency. In most cases, this iron deficiency is accompanied by dizziness, which results from anemia and thus an undersupply of oxygen to the brain. However, other causes of dizziness should be excluded first.
Cause
The dizziness caused by iron deficiency is based on a condition called iron deficiency anemia. If the patient suffers from a lack of iron, the human body draws on its own iron reserves until these are exhausted. Then the iron from our red blood cells is used.
In the red blood pigment, the iron serves to transport oxygen from the lungs to other organs of the body. Therefore, when there is a lack of iron in the human body, less oxygen is transported further and the brain is undersupplied with oxygen, which causes dizziness. Due to the iron deficiency, a lower energy level of the body develops, which also causes dizziness in patients and further increases it. Women in particular are more likely to suffer from dizziness due to iron deficiency, as they already have additional iron loss during their menstruation. This topic might also be of interest to you:
- Causes of iron deficiency
Associated symptoms
Dizziness due to iron deficiency is often the first symptom of an existing anemia. It is often described as a rotational dizziness that occurs almost daily and has a long-lasting character. If the iron deficiency has been present for a longer period of time or is already far advanced, the dizziness increases.
In addition to the persistent dizziness, a lack of concentration and attention deficits also develop due to the undersupply of oxygen to the brain. Headaches can also occur. The lack of effective oxygen transport due to the lack of one creates an undersupply of all organs in our body.
As a result, not only the brain but also the other organs are less efficient than in a normal state. This is characterized by a persistent tiredness and exhaustion of the patient. Patients report a constant lack of drive and long sleep phases.
The persistent tiredness and dizziness can lead to severe impairments in daily life and also at work. Dizziness due to iron deficiency is also often accompanied by nausea and indisposition. The onset of rotational vertigo causes irritation in the perception of balance and spatial orientation.
The surroundings seem to rotate continuously. Similar to a moving carousel. The onset of nausea often remains subliminally present as a dull feeling.
In severe dizziness attacks it can lead to vomiting. More about this:
- Nausea and dizziness
Due to the dizziness, it is difficult for the eyes to fixate the environment correctly and to process the information correctly. This results in visual disorders.
Patients report a flickering that appears in the visual field. Slight temporary loss of the visual field and blurred vision may also occur. Spatial perception may also be limited.
Iron deficiency can lead to dizziness, often accompanied by drowsiness. Due to the reduced iron level, the blood cannot absorb sufficient oxygen, which causes the brain to be temporarily undersupplied. As a result, those affected feel tired, exhausted, suffer from dizziness and light-headedness.
This type of dizziness is also known as dizziness vertigo. The patients feel “dizzy” and have gait insecurities. This topic might also be of interest to you:
- Dizziness and drowsiness
To diagnose vertigo due to iron deficiency, a blood test is important in addition to the clinical symptoms. This involves determining the blood volume (Hb), a value for iron transport (transferrin saturation) and iron storage (serum ferritin).
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