Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia (or IDA, as it is commonly called) is probably the most commonly encountered form of anemia. The oxygen carrying pigment in the blood, hemoglobin, contains iron as an essential component and helps to carry oxygen from the lungs to the various tissues in the body. If the body is deficient in iron, the red blood cells contain lesser hemoglobin and, hence, lower oxygen carrying capacity. This leads to iron deficiency anemia.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

The main sources of iron are components of the diet and, to a small extent, by recycing of the iron contained in the old red blood cells. So, most cases of iron deficiency anemia are caused by too little iron in the diet, by inadequate absorption of dietary iron by the body  and loss of blood, which may include heavy or uncontrolled menstrual bleeding. A number of cases of iron deficiency anemia in children have been attributable to lead poisoning.

The onset of iron deficiency anemia is gradual as the normal stores of iron in the body and the bone marrow are depleted. As the depletion continues, the symptoms become more pronounced. Research reveals that, as a general rule, women have lesser reserves of iron and since they suffer accelerated loss due to menstruation, they form a higher risk group than men.

The groups that are at increased risk of iron deficiency anemia are:

-Women who are of child-bearing age since they suffer blood loss through menstruation
-Pregnant and lactating women since they have more requirement for dietary iron
-Children who are going through a 'growth spurt'
-People whose diet is not rich in iron

The major symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are :

Fatigue
Weakness
Shortness of breath
Irritability
Frontal Headache
Sore tongue
Brittle nails
Decreased appetite (this is especially in children)
Paleness
Pica (cravings for unusual things like chalk, paper)
A bluish tinge in the whites of the eyes

Treatment   

The first line of treatment in iron deficiency anemia is administering of oral iron supplements, mostly ferrous sulphate. Most physicians recommend that these supplements should be taken on an empty stomach but if the patient is not able to tolerate this, the supplement may need to be taken along with food. Research on the absorption patterns of iron show that milk and antacids usually do not allow iron to be absorbed efficiently and should be avoided with the iron supplements while Vitamin C, which aids in the absorption of iron should be essentially included in the diet. The diet should include iron-rich foods like raisins, meat, liver, fish, poultry, egg yolks, peas, beans and whole grain bread.