The individual symptoms

The finger and toe nails are among the first parts of the body that change when iron is deficient. This can be explained by the fact that the body has priorities, which cells need to be supplied more urgently and in case of oxygen deficiency due to iron deficiency anemia, the nails are not essential for survival. The cells that form the nail are less well supplied and the nails that grow back become brittle and thinner.

Grooves and cavities in the nails are also possible. Even after the iron deficiency has been remedied, it still takes several months until the slowly growing nails have completely recovered. Iron is an important component of hemoglobin, the red blood pigment that transports oxygen.In the case of iron deficiency, not enough blood can be produced and the proportion of hemoglobin in the blood decreases.

This is called anemia or anaemia. Anemia can often be seen in the affected person, as they have a very pale face. However, iron deficiency is not the only cause of anemia and therefore, if the paleness persists, the cause should be looked for more closely.

The paleness quickly disappears after the deficiency has been remedied. Since iron is an important component of blood formation, iron deficiency leads to an oxygen deficiency in all cells of the body. Cells that are growing or multiplying need a particularly large amount of oxygen.

The first cells which are no longer sufficiently supplied are not vital cells. This includes the hair follicles, from which new hairs are formed. In case of oxygen deficiency, the hair-forming cells do not remain in the active growth phase, but change to the resting phase.

If this happens too early, the affected hair will fall out. Hair loss is often one of the early symptoms of iron deficiency anemia. If the cause is eliminated, the hair loss is completely reversible.

However, this can take several months. A complete recovery of the hair follicles can only be expected six months after the normalization of the hemoglobin value. Hair loss can also have many causes and is not only possible with iron deficiency.

Genetically, some people lose more hair than others and other deficiencies and diseases can also promote hair loss. You can read more about hair loss here: Hair loss due to iron deficiencyHeadaches are among the most common diseases in Germany and have many different causes. With iron deficiency, headaches are usually secondary and cannot be explained directly by the deficiency.

Iron deficiency leads to concentration problems and sleep disorders, which can result in headaches. In addition to these secondary disorders, patients can also suffer from a headache disorder such as migraine in addition but independently of their iron deficiency. After successful treatment of the iron deficiency, affected persons can sleep better again and are more able to concentrate during the day, which often also reverses the headaches.

In a known migraine disorder, attacks of iron deficiency can occur more frequently, but this is also more likely to be due to lack of sleep than to the iron deficiency itself. In the case of sudden, unusually strong headaches or in combination with fever, a doctor should be consulted, as the causes are not due to iron deficiency anaemia, but can be an emergency. Fatigue is a very typical symptom of iron deficiency.

Since iron is necessary for blood formation and thus for the oxygen supply of the body, an iron deficiency can lead to an overall weakness of the body. Affected people report rapid fatigue and sleep disorders, which additionally lead to daytime tiredness. Tiredness is also the symptom that most restricts the affected persons in everyday life and therefore often leads to a visit to the doctor.

After the beginning of the therapy, many of those affected report a very rapid improvement in fatigue and feel more productive overall. In many chronic diseases that lead to a restriction of everyday life, depression occurs in the course of the illness. Chronic iron deficiency anemia is associated with concentration disorders and reduced performance.

Those affected often cannot keep up with their circle of friends and are not always able to go to work. This leads to social isolation and can thus trigger depression. When the iron deficiency is remedied, the depression can also decrease.

Those affected should, however, consult a specialist, especially if symptoms persist. Iron deficiency results in an oxygen deficiency throughout the body, as the body cannot produce enough blood to transport oxygen. Since the target cells cannot distinguish why not enough oxygen is arriving, the target cells always react with the same information to the body.

Too little oxygen is therefore compensated by pumping the blood faster through the body and thus oxygen charges arrive more often at the cells. This means that the heartbeat has to become faster, as this is crucial for the blood flow. Those affected feel this as a racing heart.

Changes in the mucous membranes are a specific symptom of iron deficiency, but they only occur in the late course of the disease and are not among the early symptoms. Inflammations at the corners of the mouth, so-called rhagades, and increased aphtae of the oral mucosa are possible.It can also lead to a degradation of the oral mucosa with difficulty swallowing, which is summarized as Plummer-Vinson syndrome. Other mucous membranes can also be affected.

Thus affected persons can also express stomach problems. The symptoms are completely reversible if the iron deficiency is successfully treated. Iron deficiency is not normally associated with weight gain.

In some cases, however, this may be a domino effect. Those affected are more often tired and exhausted and therefore isolate themselves from their circle of friends and hobbies. Less daily exercise and lack of sport with the same diet can lead to secondary weight gain.

In many cases, the relationship between weight and iron storage tends to be the other way round. Weight loss diets can lead to iron deficiency. Iron deficiency leads to an energy saving mode of the cells in the whole body, as they cannot be supplied with sufficient oxygen.

Muscle cells need comparatively large amounts of oxygen to maintain their function and to build new cells. A lack of oxygen then leads to a breakdown of muscle cells. Particularly when affected persons no longer perform their sporting activities due to fatigue and the muscles are needed less, the body saves energy here.

The muscle weakness also decreases when the iron deficiency is remedied. Pimples are not a typical symptom of iron deficiency. Some affected persons, who tend to have impure skin anyway, can develop more pimples because the skin is damaged and bacteria can penetrate more easily.

However, this is a rather unusual reaction to iron deficiency anemia. Far more common is the accidental but independent occurrence of pimples and iron deficiency in girls during puberty. As the first menstrual periods occur during puberty, girls can develop iron deficiency and, in parallel, develop blemished skin due to the normal skin changes during puberty.

Visual disturbances are also not a direct consequence of iron deficiency, but can occur secondarily. It is not usually a direct damage of the eye or the retina. People affected by iron deficiency can have blood pressure fluctuations and dizziness, and a blurred field of vision can also occur.

In addition, some people interpret their concentration disorders as a visual disturbance, as the letters in front of the eyes are subjectively blurred. Both back pain and migraine attacks are secondary symptoms rather than direct consequences of iron deficiency. Back pain can be caused by muscle weakness.

Migraine attacks affect people who have migraines anyway, more so if they have a lack of sleep. Since iron deficiency can lead to sleep disorders, the frequency of attacks can increase. Both diseases can also occur simultaneously by chance, but independently of iron deficiency.

Iron deficiency leads to muscle breakdown due to the lack of oxygen in the muscle cells. Therefore, muscle cramps can occur more frequently during exercise. Even after sporting activities, which cause micro injuries to the muscles, regeneration is worse and cramps occur more quickly.

More often than iron deficiency, however, magnesium or calcium deficiency is observed as the cause of muscle cramps. Many other diseases or medications also lead to muscle cramps, so that this can also occur independently of an existing iron deficiency. You can find more information on this topic at: The cramps.

Tinnitus, also known as ringing in the ears, is a very common disease. In most cases, it is not possible to determine with certainty how the tinnitus develops. Iron deficiency is discussed as the cause, but has not yet been confirmed.

Changes in the cardiovascular system can cause tinnitus and therefore tachycardia, in the context of iron deficiency, is also a possibility. A direct connection between tinnitus and iron deficiency is not known. A classic late symptom of severe iron deficiency is the so-called rhagades.

These are cracks in the corners of the mouth caused by damage to the mucous membrane. Around the cracks there are also inflammation areas, which distinguish the rhagades from simple cracks caused by cold weather. The rhagades are completely reversible when the cause and the associated iron deficiency anemia are eliminated. Affected persons suffer both from the pain and the cosmetic consequences of the rhagades.