10 signs of iron deficiency you may not know

You can tell signs of iron deficiency in your nails, skin, and hair. Besides, other manifestations of iron deficiency include palpitations, restless legs syndrome, cold hands and feet...

Iron deficiency can cause abnormally low red blood cell counts because iron helps make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen around the body. If your body doesn't have enough hemoglobin, your tissues and muscles won't get enough oxygen to function properly. Common causes of iron deficiency include:

• Pregnant
• Severe blood loss
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Internal bleeding
• Restricted diet or diet

The signs of iron deficiency will vary depending on the severity of your anemia, your development, your age, and your current health.

Iron deficiency can lead to unpleasant symptoms that affect quality of life including poor health, concentration and productivity. Below, let's find out with SignsSymptomsList.com 10 signs of iron deficiency you need to know!

1. Signs of iron deficiency in nails

One of the least known signs of iron deficiency is brittle or spoon-shaped nails. This condition is also known as koilonychia. This sign of iron deficiency in the nails often begins with brittle nails that break easily and crack. In the later stages of iron deficiency, spoon-shaped nails can occur when the middle of the nail and the edges are raised to give a spoon-like appearance.

Brittle or spoon-shaped nails are a rare symptom of iron deficiency and are usually only seen in cases of severe iron deficiency anemia.

2. Pale skin due to iron deficiency

Pale skin is one of the common signs of iron deficiency. The hemoglobin in red blood cells gives the blood its red color, so low iron levels in the body cause the skin to lose its rosy glow.

Pale skin can appear all over the body, or in certain areas such as the face, gums, inside of the lips or lower eyelids, and even fingernails.

Sometimes, your doctor will check the skin for signs of iron deficiency to diagnose the disease. However, it is best to confirm with a blood test.

3. Iron deficiency causes dry skin and hair

Dry and damaged skin or hair can be a sign of iron deficiency. This is because when your body lacks iron, it restricts oxygen to the organs and tissues in the skin and hair. Skin and hair that are deprived of oxygen often become weak and dry. More severe cases of iron deficiency can lead to hair loss.

4. Iron deficiency causes shortness of breath

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Hemoglobin helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. When hemoglobin levels drop due to iron deficiency, oxygen levels also drop. At this point, your body is forced to increase its breathing rate to receive more oxygen. This is why iron deficiency causes shortness of breath.

If you find it difficult to breathe during normal daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs or working, it could be a sign of iron deficiency.

5. Iron deficiency causes headaches

Headaches are less common than other symptoms and are often accompanied by dizziness. With iron deficiency, low hemoglobin levels in red blood cells prevent them from delivering enough oxygen to the brain. This can cause blood vessels in the brain to swell, causing pressure and leading to headaches.

Although there are many causes of headaches, frequent headaches and dizziness can be signs of iron deficiency.

6. Palpitations can be a sign of iron deficiency

Tachycardia is a less common sign of iron deficiency. With iron-deficiency anemia, low hemoglobin levels cause the heart to work harder to deliver enough oxygen to the body's organs. This leads to an irregular heartbeat, or the feeling that your heart is beating abnormally fast. In more severe cases it can lead to an enlarged heart, heart murmur or heart failure.

7. Signs of iron deficiency in the mouth

Sometimes just by looking in or around your mouth you can tell if you are suffering from iron deficiency anemia. Signs of iron deficiency in the mouth include a swollen, inflamed, pale, or smooth tongue. Low hemoglobin levels due to iron deficiency can decrease myoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps with the functioning of muscles such as the tongue muscles, which causes pain and swelling in the tongue or around the mouth.

Iron deficiency can also cause dry mouth, causing cracked corners of the mouth or mouth ulcers.

8. Iron deficiency makes legs restless

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Iron deficiency is associated with restless legs syndrome. The condition is often worse at night, causing discomfort and itching in the legs, which in turn makes it difficult for sufferers to sleep.
Up to 25% of people with restless legs syndrome are associated with iron deficiency anemia. The lower the iron level, the more severe the symptoms.
9. Iron deficiency causes fatigue
Feeling tired is one of the most common symptoms of iron deficiency, occurring in more than half of people with iron deficiency. Besides not having enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen to your tissues and muscles, your heart has to work harder to pump oxygen throughout your body, which can make you dizzy and tired. Since fatigue is often considered a normal part of modern life, it is difficult to diagnose iron deficiency with this symptom alone.

10. Other signs of iron deficiency

• Cold hands and feet: Iron deficiency causes the blood to not supply enough oxygen to the body parts, causing cold hands and feet.
• Vulnerability to infections: Since iron is necessary for a healthy immune system, an iron deficiency can make you more susceptible to many diseases than usual.
• Feelings of anxiety: The lack of oxygen reaching body tissues due to iron deficiency can cause feelings of anxiety, which will improve as the iron deficiency improves.
• Cravings for strange things: A possible iron deficiency can cause cravings for strange things like rocks, clay, dirt, chalk, or paper. This can also happen during pregnancy.