Iron Deficiency Anemia Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Iron Deficiency Anemia?

Iron Deficiency Anemia is a condition in which the body does not produce enough healthy red blood cells due to a lack of iron. This can lead to fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and other health issues. Iron is an essential mineral that helps our bodies create hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to all parts of the body. When the body doesn’t have enough iron, it cannot make enough hemoglobin and results in anemia. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies worldwide. It affects both men and women but is more common in women due to their higher need for iron related to menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation. Other risk factors include being pregnant or recently pregnant; having gastrointestinal bleeding or problems absorbing nutrients; being vegetarian or vegan; having a diet low in iron-rich foods; frequent blood donation; and certain medical conditions such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease. The most common symptoms of anemia are extreme fatigue and exhaustion which can be caused by doing everyday tasks like showering or getting dressed becoming overwhelming for individuals who suffer from this condition. Other symptoms may include rapid heartbeat (palpitations), shortness of breath (dyspnea), pale skin, headaches, dizziness/lightheadedness (syncope), irritability/lack of concentration (brain fog), cold hands/feet (cold extremities) and brittle nails/hair loss. In order to diagnose anemia your doctor may do various tests including CBCs (complete blood count) which measures red blood cells counts as well as other important elements such as white blood cells counting ; ferritin test which measures stored iron levels in the body ; TIBC test which measures total Iron Binding Capacity ; serum ferritin test that measure free circulating iron levels ; transferrin saturation test that measure how much capacity there is still left on transferrin protein used by your body to transport it around , etc.. Treatment usually requires increasing dietary intake through either food sources such as lean meats like beef liver , poultry , fish , legumes like beans & lentils , dark leafy greens like spinach & kale , nuts & seeds like pumpkin seeds & sesame seeds. Iron supplements are also commonly prescribed for individuals with mild cases of anemia but should always be taken under doctor’s supervision.