Typical consequences of iron deficiency | Consequences of iron deficiency

Typical consequences of iron deficiency

One of the inevitable consequences of a long-term iron deficiency is anaemia (iron deficiency anaemia), which is caused by a lack of haemoglobin. The majority of human blood consists of red blood cells (erythrocytes), the main component of which is the oxygen carrier hemoglobin. To absorb oxygen, hemoglobin needs iron as an essential component.

If iron is missing, haemoglobin is not functional and this leads to so-called anaemia caused by iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can have these typical physical consequences: Anaemia Loss of performance and concentration Fatigue and dizziness Headaches Pallor of the skin Hair loss Cracks in the corner of the mouth Brittle fingernails Breathlessness during physical exertion Digestive problems (constipation, loss of appetite) Shortness of breath, fainting As iron is an important component of haemoglobin, which in turn is the oxygen carrier in the red blood cells, an iron deficiency reduces the production of haemoglobin. As a result, fewer red blood cells are produced and thus the body is not able to provide sufficient oxygen.

This leads to a variety of symptoms such as frequent fatigue, paleness of the skin and especially the gums, and a decrease in performance. In extreme cases, the latter can even manifest itself as so-called stress dyspnoea, i.e. severe shortness of breath during physical exertion, or lead to the so-called Plummer-Vinson syndrome. This syndrome describes a variety of symptoms triggered by iron deficiency: disturbance of the swallowing process (dysphagia) burning of the tongue (glossistis) nail changes (koilonychia) cracked corners of the mouth (cheilitis) general symptoms of iron deficiency Other possible physical consequences of iron deficiency are headaches, hair loss and brittle nails.

Particularly unpleasant and often associated with iron deficiency are small cracks in the area of the corners of the mouth, so-called rhagades.

  • Anemia
  • Decrease in performance and ability to concentrate
  • Tiredness and dizziness
  • Headaches
  • Paleness of the skin
  • Hair Loss
  • Cracks in the corner of the mouth
  • Brittle fingernails
  • Shortness of breath during physical exertion
  • Digestive problems (constipation, loss of appetite)
  • Shortness of breath, fainting
  • Disorder of the swallowing process (dysphagia)
  • Tongue burning (Glossistis)
  • Nail changes (Koilonychia)
  • Corner of the mouth cracks (Cheilitis)
  • General symptoms of iron deficiency

Iron fulfils an important function in the blood: it is a component of haemoglobin, which in turn is responsible for binding oxygen in the red blood cells. Since the main task of the red blood cells is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body cells, the following logical chain results: without iron there is no hemoglobin, without hemoglobin there are no red blood cells and without the latter there is no oxygen supply for the body. This lack of supply is also the cause of most of the symptoms described above, such as paleness or loss of performance.

A lack of red blood cells or haemoglobin is called anaemia, which can be objectified by the haemoglobin concentration in the blood: The threshold values below which anemia occurs depend on the sex and age of the person affected and range from 11g/dl (pregnant women, children) to 13g/dl (adult men). If the anemia is caused by iron deficiency, it is called iron deficiency anemia by definition. Here you will learn how to treat anemia Iron deficiency can be diagnosed in the blood on the basis of various parameters.

The current iron concentration in blood serum should be between 60 and 180 μg/dl for men and between 70 and 180 μg/dl for women. The most important long-term marker is ferritin, which represents the storage form of iron in the body and whose concentration in the blood consequently reflects the total iron storage reserves. Values at 30μg/l clearly indicate a lack of stored iron.

The interpretation of the ferritin value can be confirmed by the transferrin concentration. Transferrin is the transport protein for iron in the blood. In the case of an iron deficiency, fewer transferrin molecules find an iron molecule to transport, so to speak, which is why the concentration of free transferrin (i.e. transferrin without iron to be transported) increases.

Values above 3.4g/l (men) and 3.1g/l (women) should be carefully checked. The significance of transferrin saturation can be explained in a similar way: Here, values below 20% (i.e. when less than 20% of the transferrin molecules are loaded with iron) are considered conspicuous. The consequences of an iron deficiency in the body are in turn derived from the iron deficiency in the blood.

Since the skin vessels are supplied with insufficiently oxygenated blood, skin paleness occurs, which is often difficult to objectify, since some people appear paler than others. The iron deficiency can be better defined by looking at the mucous membranes, such as on the inside of the eyelids or the lower lip. But not only the formation of red blood cells, but also that of white blood cells is hindered by an iron deficiency.

This is due to the fact that iron is one of the most important factors for cell division along with nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates), vitamins and other trace elements. Since white blood cells are part of the immune system, iron deficiency in this way can lead to increased susceptibility to infections. Another externally observed consequence of an iron deficiency is hair loss.

As hair follicles are among the most active dividing cells in the body, they are hit particularly hard by an iron deficiency and are no longer able to ensure the usual level of hair growth. Another manifestation of iron deficiency, based on similar processes, is the fragility of finger and toe nails. Furthermore, iron deficiency can cause various abnormalities of the central nervous system.

For example, the reduced oxygen supply of the body can lead to chronic fatigue and become an independent clinical picture, the chronic fatigue syndrome. Depressive moods or memory disorders are also frequently observed in patients with iron deficiency. Furthermore, there is a connection between iron deficiency and the development of a so-called restless legs syndrome: This term describes a disease characterized by sensory disturbances and a strong urge to move the legs.Women of childbearing age are significantly more likely to suffer from iron deficiency than men.

This is due to the fact that the female body loses a not inconsiderable volume of blood and thus also iron every month during menstruation. To compensate for this loss, the female body absorbs a higher proportion of the iron supplied with food (up to 20%, while men only absorb about 10%). However, this does not prevent iron deficiency in all cases – especially in women who suffer from particularly severe menstrual rhythms.

A few rules of thumb can be formulated to define menstrual periods as particularly heavy: These include, for example, a menstrual period of more than 7 days, the use of more than 4 pads per day or 12 pads per menstruation or, if menstruation can no longer be controlled with tampons alone. If the symptoms typical of iron deficiency such as paleness, loss of performance and fatigue are added to these conditions, iron deficiency is very likely. In this case, the woman should consult a doctor who can first objectify the iron deficiency on the basis of a blood diagnosis and then take appropriate measures.

As babies show increased cell division during their growth, they also need relatively more iron than older children or adults. In order to meet this high requirement, they are born with broad iron stores on the one hand, but on the other hand they also make particularly good use of the iron supplied via mother’s milk or industrial infant milk (adults only absorb about 10-20% of the iron supplied via food!). This is why infants have significantly higher standard values in iron laboratory diagnostics: For example, in the first month of life, ferritin values can already be considered conspicuous under 100μg/l.

The standard values then fall steadily during the first months of life until they reach their lowest point of about 10-140μg/l around the baby’s first birthday. This normal range then remains relatively constant until adolescence. If an iron deficiency occurs in a breastfed infant, this is usually manifested by an increasingly moody and restless behavior of the infant.

In these cases, the iron content of breast milk is usually not sufficient to satisfy the infant’s high iron requirements. This development is more frequent at the age of 3 to 4 months, because at this time the iron reserves available from birth are running low and the child is increasingly dependent on the supply of iron through food. In these cases, a change in the mother’s diet should be initiated, since a balanced diet normally guarantees a sufficiently high iron content in breast milk.

Only if this measure does not bring any noticeable success should consideration be given to switching to industrial infant milk with increased iron content and at the same time clarifying the reasons for the mother’s impaired iron utilization. Since infants are still growing, they need a particularly high iron content, similar to babies. A balanced and conscious diet is therefore particularly important in toddlers.

If a toddler suffers from an iron deficiency, the symptoms are very similar to those of adults: Parents can then often observe a lack of concentration and severe fatigue and listlessness in their child. Furthermore, children with iron deficiency often complain about small tears in the corners of the mouth and brittle fingernails. The already increased susceptibility of children to infections in combination with the great importance of iron for the functioning of the immune system is also a problem.

In the long term, a pronounced iron deficiency can lead to impairments of physical and especially mental development. If the situation cannot be significantly improved by a change in diet to, for example, more meat, oatmeal or pulses, another option is to take iron-containing dietary supplements. Iron-containing juices are particularly suitable for children.

However, these measures should not be exaggerated and, if possible, should be discussed with a specialist, since an excess of iron can also impair the physical and mental development of the child. and iron deficiency in the childDuring pregnancy, the maternal body is particularly susceptible to the development of an iron deficiency. This is due to the fact that during pregnancy the blood volume and thus the number of red blood cells must be increased in order to meet the increased oxygen demand caused by the growing child.In addition, iron is an important factor in cell division, which during pregnancy is obviously running at full speed.

Due to the special circumstances of pregnancy, pregnant women are subject to special limits for the laboratory diagnosis of iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia. The hemoglobin concentration should not fall below 11g/dl in the first and last 3 months of pregnancy (1st and 3rd trimester), while in the 4th to 6th month the limit should be set at 10.5g/dl. The ferritin concentration should be above 25μg/l during pregnancy.

An important aspect when considering an iron deficiency in pregnancy is the so-called postpartum depression. This term describes the accumulation of depressive moods among recently delivered mothers. Since an iron deficiency in itself can lead to depressive episodes, pregnant women with iron deficiency are particularly at risk of developing such postpartum depression.

If the iron deficiency is known, special attention can therefore be paid to the psychological condition of the expectant mother during pregnancy, which can possibly prevent postpartum depression or at least, if it occurs, enable a faster and more patient-specific response (e.g. psychotherapy). If an iron deficiency is detected during pregnancy, the doctor’s recommendations should be followed urgently. This includes not to increase the iron intake excessively, as an excess of iron can also have negative effects on the development of the child and also on the mother’s health.