Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. Those most affected by iron deficiencynemia include young children, pregnant women, and menstruating girls and women.

The fact is that about half of all pregnant women experience iron deficiency anemia during their pregnancies, and at least 1 out of 5 girls and women experience the condition at some point during their reproductive years. Menstrual blood loss is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemian girls and women.

Of course, excessive blood loss of any kind can also cause iron deficiency anemia. Other causes of iron deficiency anemia include not consuming enough dietary iron, and not absorbed iron from he foods you eat.

Iron deficiency anemia can range from mild to severe, as can the symptoms of anemia . The key factor that determines whether you experience symptoms of iron deficiency anemia is the degree of iron deficiency anemia you have. For example, if you have mild iron deficiency anemia you may not have any symptoms at all.

On the other hand, if you have severe iron deficiency anemia you’ll likely experience more symptoms, particularly fatigue. In fact, fatigue is the most common symptom experienced in all types of anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia can also lead to the development of restless legs syndrome (RLS). Women who have RLS frequently spend many long nights dealing with the symptoms of RLS which make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a good night of sleep. This is because RLS causes extreme discomfort in the legs that is only relieved by moving them.

 While the treatment of iron deficiency anemia is relatively easy, not getting treatment ave devastating consequences. If you don’t have sufficient levels of iron in your blood, your heart has to work harder to get oxygen to your organs.

Eventually, the stress that iron deficiency anemia causes to your heart, may lead to heart problems including a fast or irregular heartbeat, an enlarged heart, chest pain, and ultimately heart failure.

 

If you’re pregnant, the consequences of untreated iron deficiency anemia may lead to premature labor and delivery of low-birthweight babies

THYROID DISEASE CATEGORIES

Conditions related to iron levels in the blood are more common with hypothyroidism than in the average population, according to researchers.

Iron-deficiency anemia (insufficient iron) is more common in people with hypothyroidism. Symptoms or signs of anemia include:

  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Pale appearance to the lining of lower eyelids
  • palpitations, fast or irregular heartbeat.
  • faintness and breathlessness.
  • hair loss.
  • bruising that occurs without reason
  • dizziness
  • long or unusually heavy menstrual periods

Anemia is diagnosed using a comprehensive iron panel blood test.

In addition to your doctor’s recommendations regarding treatment for anemia and any suggested iron supplementation, you can also consider the following recommendations

  • Eat more foods that are good sources of iron.
  • Help your body absorb iron better by eating foods high in vitamine C 

  • Red meat can supply iron, but also helps your body absorb iron from other foods.
  • Limit your use of tea, except herbal teas.
  • Increase dietary fiber to prevent constipation.

Hemochromatosis is less common, but more frequently seen in people with hypothyroidism Symptoms of hemochromatosis include:

  • chronic fatigue
  • arthritis-like pain in joints, in particular, the middle two fingers
  • loss of libido (sex drive), impotence
  • early absence of menstrual periods
  • changes in skin color, yellowish, bronze, grey, olive
  • redness in the palms
  • abdominal pain
  • shortness of breath
  • heart arrhythmia
  • depression
  • elevated blood sugar

Hemochromatosis is not easy to diagnose, as it is not revealed in routine blood work so doctors need to request specific tests to diagnose it.

Treatment for Hemochromatosis is a doctor-supervised program of giving blood, known as phlebotomy.

 

Anemia is a condition that occurs when the blood has an abnormally low number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that attaches to oxygen in the lungs so it can be transported to tissues throughout the body.

Anemia is not uncommon in people with inflammatory types of arthritis,such as rheumatoid arthritis.For example, anemia of chronic disease. is a specific type of anemia which develops in response to inflammation.

Anemia of chronic disease must be distinguished from other types of anemia, though, because treatment depends on the type.

Symptoms of Anemia

Common symptoms associated with anemia include fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, headache, cold hands, cold feet, pale or yellowish skin, and chest pain.A person with anemia may experience one or more of these symptoms. If there are no obvious signs or symptoms of anemia, the condition may go undetected until a blood test is performed.

Types of Anemia

Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. As its name suggests, this type of anemia develops when you lack a sufficient amount of iron in your body. Typically, blood loss is the reason for iron-deficiency anemia, but poor absorption of iron may also cause the condition.

Vitamin-deficiency anemia can develop when there are low levels of vitamin B12 or B9 (FOLIC ACID) in the body. With vitamin b12 deficiency often the vitamin is not well-absorbed. pernicious anemia is one of many causes of B12 deficiency.

Aplastic anemia is a rare type of anemia that develops when the body stops producing sufficient numbers of red blood cells. Viral infections, exposure to toxic chemicals,autoimmune disease,and certain drugs are considered possible causes.

Hemolytic anemia occurs when there is abnormal rupture of red blood cells within the bloodstream or in the spleen. Possible causes include mechanical reasons (e.g.,aneurysm), infection, autoimmune disease, or congenital or inherited abnormalities (e.g.,sickle cell anemia).

For people with inflammatory types of arthritis, it is important to distinguish between the two most common types of anemia which affect them – iron-deficiency and anemia of chronic disease. Many arthritis patients take an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) as part of their treatment regimen. NSAIDS have been tied to an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding . Patients and doctors must be aware of the risk, monitoring symptoms as well as periodic blood tests to check blood counts. As previously stated, blood loss can be the underlying reason for iron-deficiency anemia.

With anemia of chronic disease, iron metabolism is altered. When inflammation is triggered by the immune system, iron metabolism in the body goes into defense mode, so to speak. When this occurs, there is a mild drop in hemoglobin, less iron is absorbed by the body, free iron in the body is stored in liver cells, and the ferritin level in serum increases.

Anemia of chronic disease does not progress. Generally, hemoglobin levels hover in a slightly lower than normal range, not typically lower than 9.5 mg/dl. In both iron-deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic disease, serum iron is low. Small red cells may be observed microscopically in either condition, but they are more typical of iron-deficiency anemia. Transferrin, a protein that transports iron, is elevated in iron-deficiency anemia — a sign that the body needs more iron.

The total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), an indirect measurement of transferrin, is low in anemia of chronic disease — a sign that there is enough iron but it is not readily available. TIBC is usually high when iron stores are decreased and low when iron stores are elevated. In iron-deficiency anemia, TIBC is typically in excess of 400 mcg/dl because iron stores are low.

Serum ferritin is often used to distinguish between the two types of anemia but it can be elevated in the presence of inflammation. With an inflammatory condition, serum ferritin may be raised to normal levels, even if iron-deficiency anemia exists. It can be confusing. The serum transferrin receptor test can help sort it out because it is less affected by inflammation. In iron-deficiency anemia, serum transferrin receptor will be high. In anemia of chronic disease, serum transferrin receptor is usually low or on the low side of normal.

Anemia of chronic disease is not treated with iron supplementation. Additional iron can actually be harmful, depending on the underlying chronic disease. Iron supplementation may be indicated in iron-deficiency anemia, however. Also, if there is bleeding, the source of bleeding should be identified

Thank you for reading.  and thank you for the staff in Cleveland university who provided me with this info. 

Steve Ramsey, PhD -Public Health.