Diet

Consequences of iron deficiency

definition

Iron is an elementary building block in many different cells in the body. Most of the iron is in the red blood cells as part of hemoglobin. It is responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. Iron is also contained in many enzymes that carry out metabolic processes. Iron therefore plays a crucial role in the regeneration and growth of cells.

The iron deficiency (sideropenia) in the human body is one of the most common deficiency symptoms from which around 25% of the world's population suffer. Adolescents and adults have a daily iron requirement of 12 to 15 mg, which must be taken in through food. Particularly in pregnant women there is an increased need for iron of 30 mg daily.

Iron is one of the most important trace elements in the body and plays a key role in many enzymes. A deficiency in iron can therefore have far-reaching consequences for people such as fatigue, paleness and a decline in performance and concentration.

introduction

The term iron deficiency describes a too low concentration of iron in the human body, which can have various causes. Since iron cannot be produced by the body itself, but still has a variety of important functions, a deficiency can lead to serious complications, depending on the severity.

Every day the body excretes around 1-2 mg of iron, which has to be supplied again through food. However, this does not mean, conversely, that you have to be careful to consume a certain amount of iron every day - the body has the possibility of storing excess iron in the cells and releasing it on days when over no iron or too little iron is supplied to the diet. This shows that only a long-term malnutrition of iron can lead to a diet-related iron deficiency.

In addition to malnutrition, blood loss is the second main cause of iron deficiency. This is because there is iron in the hemoglobin molecule, the oxygen carrier of the red blood cells. Normally, these red blood cells are "withdrawn from circulation“And their components - including iron - are partially recycled, so that they are still available to the body.

In the case of bleeding, this recycling mechanism does not work: the body loses the red blood cells and thus also the iron. This makes it clear that women before menopause in particular are prone to developing an iron deficiency due to their monthly menstrual periods. But other diseases can also lead to a permanent bleeding tendency and thus to an iron deficiency: These include, for example, unrecognized stomach ulcers or blood clotting disorders.

Typical consequences of iron deficiency

One of the inevitable consequences of long-term iron deficiency is anemia (iron deficiency anemia), which is triggered by a lack of hemoglobin.The majority of human blood consists of red blood cells (erythrocytes), the main component of which is the oxygen carrier hemoglobin. In order to be able to absorb oxygen, hemoglobin needs iron as an essential component. If iron is missing, hemoglobin is not functional and so-called anemia occurs, triggered by iron deficiency.
An iron deficiency can have these typical physical consequences:

Anemia
Decline in performance and ability to concentrate
Tiredness and dizziness
a headache
Pallor of the skin
Hair loss
Cracks in the corner of the mouth
Brittle fingernails
Difficulty breathing during exertion
Digestive problems (constipation, loss of appetite)
Shortness of breath, fainting spells

Since iron is an important component of hemoglobin, which in turn is the oxygen carrier in the red blood cells, an iron deficiency lowers the production of hemoglobin. As a result, fewer red blood cells are formed and the body can therefore only be supplied with insufficient oxygen.
This leads to a variety of symptoms such as frequent tiredness, paleness of the skin and especially of the gums as well as a decrease in performance. In extreme cases, the latter can even manifest itself through so-called exertional dyspnea, 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 caused by iron deficiency:

Swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
Burning tongue (glossistis)
Nail changes (koilonychia)
Cracks in the corner of the mouth (cheilitis)
General symptoms of iron deficiency

Other possible physical consequences of iron deficiency are headaches, hair loss and brittle nails. Small cracks in the area of the corners of the mouth, so-called rhagades, are particularly unpleasant and often associated with an iron deficiency.

Read more on the topic: Headache from iron deficiency

Consequences of iron deficiency on blood formation

Iron fulfills an important function in the blood: It is a component of hemoglobin, 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 no red blood cells and without the latter there is no oxygen supply for the body.
Most of the symptoms described above, such as paleness or poor performance, result from this insufficient supply. A deficiency in red blood cells or hemoglobin is called anemia, which can be objectified by the hemoglobin concentration in the blood: The limit values below which anemia is present depend on the sex and age of the person concerned and range between 11g / dl (Pregnant women, children) and 13g / dl (grown men). If the anemia is again based on iron deficiency, one speaks of iron deficiency anemia by definition.

Here learn how to treat anemia

Iron deficiency can be diagnosed in the blood using various parameters. The current iron concentration in the blood serum should be between 60 and 180 µg / dl in men and between 70 and 180 µg / dl in 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 storage reserves of iron. Values below 30µg / l clearly indicate a lack of stored iron. The interpretation of the ferritin value can be confirmed with the help of the transferrin concentration.

Transferrin is the transport protein for iron in the blood. If there is an iron deficiency, fewer transferrin molecules find an iron molecule for transport, which is why the concentration of free transferrin (i.e. transferrin without iron to be transported) increases. Values above 3.4g / l (Men) or 3.1g / l (Women) must be carefully clarified. The importance of transferrin saturation can be explained in a similar way: Values below 20% apply here (when less than 20% of the transferrin molecules are loaded with iron) as noticeable.

Please also read our page Iron deficiency anemia.

Consequences of iron deficiency in the body

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, however, is often difficult to objectify, as some people per se appear paler than others. The iron deficiency can be better differentiated by looking at the mucous membranes, e.g. on the inside of the eyelids or 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 results from the fact that iron, in addition to nutrients (Proteins, fats, carbohydrates), Vitamins and other trace elements are one of the most important factors for cell division. Since the white blood cells are part of the immune system, an iron deficiency can lead to an increased susceptibility to infections.

Another consequence of iron deficiency that can be observed externally is hair loss. Since hair follicles are among the most actively 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 the fingernails and toenails.

Find out more about: Homeopathy for hair loss

Furthermore, an iron deficiency can cause various abnormalities in the central nervous system. For example, the reduced oxygen supply to the body can lead to chronic fatigue and become an independent clinical picture, the chronic fatigue syndrome. Depressive moods or memory disorders are also observed more frequently in patients with iron deficiency.

In addition, there is a connection between iron deficiency and the development of a so-called restless legs syndrome: This term describes a disease that is characterized by sensory disorders and a strong urge to move in the legs.

Read more on the topic: Iron Deficiency and Depression - What Is the Connection?

Consequences of iron deficiency in women

Women of childbearing age are significantly more likely to suffer from iron deficiency than men. This is because the female body every month under the Menstrual period a not inconsiderable volume of blood and thus also iron volume is lost. To compensate for this loss, the female body takes in a higher proportion of the iron supplied with food (up to 20%, while men only absorb about 10%), although this cannot prevent iron deficiency in all cases - especially in women who suffer from particularly heavy menstrutation.

A few rules of thumb can be formulated by means of which menstruation can be defined as particularly heavy: This includes, for example, a duration of menstruation of more than 7 days, the consumption of more than 4 pads per day or. 12 pads per menstruation or when menstruation can no longer be controlled with tampons alone.
In addition to these conditions, there are those for iron deficiency typical symptoms like paleness, poor performance and fatigue, iron deficiency is very likely. In this case, the woman should consult a doctor who can first objectify the iron deficiency using blood tests and then initiate appropriate measures.

Consequences of iron deficiency in infants

As infants grow a increased cell division have, they also need relatively more iron than older children or adults. In order to meet this high demand, they are on the one hand with wide iron stores born, on the other hand they also utilize the iron supplied through breast milk or industrial baby milk particularly well (Adults only take in around 10-20% of the iron they eat!).
This is why there are significantly higher normal values in the iron laboratory diagnostics for infants: For example, ferritin values are already below in the first month of life 100 µg / l to be considered conspicuous. The normal values then fall steadily during the first months of life until they reach their lowest point around the infant's first birthday approx. 10-140µg / l to reach. This normal range then remains relatively constant until adolescence.

If an iron deficiency occurs in a breastfed infant, this is usually expressed as an increasing capricious and restless behavior of the child. In these cases, the iron content of breast milk is usually insufficient to satisfy the infant's high needs. This development is more common at an age of 3 to 4 months, because around this point in time the iron stores present from birth are running out and the child is increasingly dependent on the supply of iron through food.
In these cases a Change of diet in the mother should be introduced, since a balanced diet usually guarantees a sufficiently high iron content in breast milk. Only if this measure does not bring any noticeable success should be considered industrial baby milk with increased iron content to switch and at the same time clarify the reasons for the impaired iron utilization in the mother.

Consequences of iron deficiency in young children

Since small children are still growing, they need a lot of iron, similar to infants. A balanced and conscious diet is therefore particularly important in small children. If an iron deficiency occurs in a toddler, this manifests itself very similarly to an adult: Parents can then often observe poor concentration and severe tiredness and listlessness in their child. Furthermore, children with iron deficiency often complain of small tears in the corners of their mouths and of brittle fingernails.
The already increased susceptibility of children to infection in combination with the great importance of iron for the functionality of the immune system is also a problem. In the long term, a pronounced iron deficiency can impair physical and, in particular, mental development.

Can be changed through a change in diet to e.g. If more meat, oatmeal or legumes do not improve the situation significantly, there is another possibility in the intake of iron-containing food supplements. Ferrous juices are particularly suitable for children. However, these measures should not be exaggerated and, if possible, discussed with a specialist, as an excess of iron can also impair the child's physical and mental development.

Read more on the subject at: Herbal blood and Iron deficiency in the child

Consequences of iron deficiency in pregnancy

During pregnancy, the maternal body is particularly prone to developing an iron deficiency. This is due to the fact that the blood volume and thus the number of red blood cells must be increased during pregnancy in order to meet the increased oxygen demand caused by the growing child. In addition, iron is an important factor for cell division, which obviously runs at full speed during pregnancy.

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

An important aspect when considering iron deficiency during pregnancy is what is known as postpartum depression. This term describes the accumulation of depressive moods among recently delivered mothers.
Since iron deficiency can in itself lead to depressive episodes, pregnant women with iron deficiency are at risk of developing such postpartum depression. If the iron deficiency is known, special attention can therefore be paid to the psychological state of the expectant mother during pregnancy, which may prevent postpartum depression or at least a faster reaction tailored to the patient if it occurs (e.g. psychotherapy) can enable.

If iron deficiency is detected during pregnancy, the recommendations of the doctor should be followed urgently. This also includes not increasing the iron intake excessively, as an excess of iron can have negative effects on the development of the child and also on the health of the mother.

Read more on this topic at: Iron Deficiency During Pregnancy

Changes in the nails with iron deficiency

Iron is involved in a number of metabolic processes and thus in the regeneration and growth of cells. The fingernails in particular are exposed to great stress in everyday life. If the cells are not adequately supplied with iron, the cells cannot renew themselves as quickly. The nails become brittle and break or split. Unsightly grooves and white spots can also form.
However, changes in the fingernails can also be the cause of magnesium or calcium deficiency and are rather unspecific symptoms of iron deficiency. However, if fatigue or decreased performance occurs, blood tests should be arranged.

For more information, see: Cracked nails- cause and treatment and brittle fingernails- what's behind it?

Cracked corners of the mouth with iron deficiency

Cracked corners of the mouth, so-called angular rashes, can indicate an iron deficiency. Here iron again plays an important role in metabolic processes. Iron promotes the regeneration of the skin. If the skin barrier is not intact, it dries out, becomes thin and e.g. at the corner of the mouth.
The small cracks are usually very painful and slightly reddened by local inflammatory reactions. Angular rash can also have a number of other causes, such as diabetes, vitamin deficiency or herpes. Here, too, attention must be paid to other symptoms associated with iron deficiency.

You can find out more about the topic here: Cracked corners of the mouth

Hair loss due to iron deficiency

As a result of slow cell growth and regeneration, not only the fingernails and the skin but also the hair become brittle, dull and brittle. Long-term iron deficiency can also lead to hair loss. The cells of the hair roots divide very quickly and are dependent on an optimal supply of nutrients and trace elements. If this is not the case, the hair roots die and the affected hair falls out.

Are you interested in this topic? Please also read our page: Hair loss due to iron deficiency