Iron is an important dietary mineral that is involved in various bodily functions. It is commonly known for aiding the production of hemoglobin, a protein that helps red blood cells deliver oxygen throughout your body.
It also acts as a transport medium for electrons to travel within the cells and is needed for many enzymes to function normally.
Maintaining a healthy level of iron in your body is important, yet iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. If it is not controlled in time, it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia.
Some of the common causes of iron deficiency in adults are inadequate intake of iron through diet, chronic blood loss, increased need for iron by the body like during pregnancy, and an inability to properly absorb iron.
Women in their childbearing years are at higher risk, mainly due to loss of blood during menstruation. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, about 20 percent of women of childbearing age have iron-deficiency anemia.
Insufficient iron can affect your body in many ways. It is important to be aware of its signs and symptoms, so that corrective measures can be taken right away.
Here are the top 10 signs and symptoms of iron deficiency.
1. FATIGUE AND TIREDNESS
Fatigue and tiredness are common in people who have a low iron level.
Iron is important for maintaining optimum levels of hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying chemical in the bloodstream. Lack of oxygen in the body causes constant fatigue and tiredness.
A 2000 study published in Quality of Life Research suggests that iron deficiency is associated with decreased general health and well-being and increased fatigue.
2. SHORTNESS OF BREATH :
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