Fibroid Health

Hierro Symptoms of iron deficiency and iron-rich foods

Iron deficiency means less than adequate levels of iron in the body.

Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin – the pigment that transports oxygen in the blood. Iron deficient people tire easily because their bodies are dying hunger for oxygen. Without enough iron, the fuel of the body can not be synthesized successfully.

Iron deficiency is the most common counting Low red blood cells or anemia worldwide. Women are more prone to iron deficiency. Generally affects about 10 percent of pre-menopausal women, 6 percent of postmenopausal women, and less than 2 percent of men.

Symptoms of iron deficiency:

• If a person is healthy, the symptoms appear after hemoglobin falls below 10 g / dl.

• Early symptoms include fatigue, dizziness and rapid heartbeat (tachycardia).

• Shortness of effort, however slight.

• pale appearance

• Fainting

• If iron deficiency is severe, angina (chest pain), headache and leg pain (difficulty walking).

If pronounced iron deficiency symptoms are visible on the tongue and throat, and include:

• a burning sensation on the tongue.

• Drought in the mouth and throat.

• sores in the corner of the mouth.

• Nails become brittle

• Pica (a craving for a particular food, often rich in iron)

• brittle hair.

• difficulty swallowing.

What causes iron deficiency?

Human bone marrow needs iron, and vitamins to produce hemoglobin and red blood cells. Our bodies are vitamins and iron from the foods we eat, and also recycles iron from old red blood cells.

Iron deficiency can lead Anemia – When the body lacks enough iron to make hemoglobin.

The causes of iron deficiency are:

Pregnancy # – Iron deficiency can occur in many pregnant women because their iron stores need to serve their own increased blood volume and a source of hemoglobin for the growing fetus.

Woman # Blood loss – with heavy periods are at risk for iron deficiency because they lose a lot of blood during menstruation. Other causes include peptic ulcer, hernia, a kidney or bladder tumors, polyps or uterine fibroids. Gastrointestinal bleeding from the regular use of aspirin or NSAIDs can be a source of iron loss.

# A lack of iron in diet – iron-rich foods such as meat, eggs, vegetables greens such as spinach, whole grains or foods fortified with iron.

The inability to absorb iron # – perhaps due to certain intestinal disorders such as Alzheimer Crohn's disease or celiac disease, which affects the ability of the intestine to absorb nutrients from food.

# Diseases such as leukemia, hemorrhoids, cancer stomach.

Who is at risk for iron deficiency?

# Seniors – perhaps due to a chronic internal bleeding usually caused by ulcers, polyps, or tumors.

# Those who have lost their teeth because they have difficulty eating a proper diet. These people should take a multivitamin and mineral supplement that contains iron.

# The women, especially those very rules.

# Pregnant women – should take a supplement daily containing iron to provide the extra iron needed to nourish the developing fetus.

How iron deficiency can be treated?

The treatment certainly depends on the cause of iron deficiency. If iron deficiency is not treated, the symptoms gradually worsen. The person may become very tired and weak, and then develop angina or leg pain.

The cause of the deficiency must be identified early, particularly in elderly patients who are more vulnerable bowel cancer.

Several iron supplements by mouth are available at the counter. The best absorption of iron located on an empty stomach, but many people can not tolerate this and may have to take it with food. It is important to note that milk (especially rich foods calcium) and antacids interfere with absorption of iron and should not be taken concurrently. Vitamin C helps boost iron absorption and is essential in the production hemoglobin.

Iron supplementation is also necessary during pregnancy and breastfeeding, because the contribution Normal food can not complete the required amount.

Intravenous or intramuscular iron is also available for patients who can not tolerate oral forms.

Food sources of iron

Although iron is found in a variety of different foods, your body's available varies significantly. In general, the body is not easy to absorb iron – depends on whether the iron is in a non-heme iron or heme.

Heme iron is found only in meat, fish and poultry poultry and is absorbed much more easily than non-heme iron, found mainly in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and grains (plant origin).

It can increase the absorption of iron from the body of non-heme foods by:

• A good source of vitamin C as citrus, oranges, olives and strawberries if a food is eaten with heme.

• A source of heme iron if cooked in an iron pot.

The iron-rich foods include raisins, vegetables greens such as spinach, broccoli, red meat (liver is the largest source), fish, poultry, eggs (yellow), beets legumes (peas and beans), chickpeas, almonds, apricots, pomegranates, dates, figs and wheat bread.

If an iron deficiency, some precautions:

• Coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks should be avoided because they decrease iron absorption.

• Excessive consumption of foods rich in fiber (the phytates in such foods) restrict iron absorption.

• Limit high intake of calcium – take your calcium supplement at a time different from your iron supplement.

• Do not eat foods high in oxalic acid – a substance that reduces the ability of our body absorb iron. iron blockers are tomato, soft drinks, dairy products, coffee and black tea. Avoid dairy cows, which can cause intestinal bleeding often hidden.

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