IRON DEFICIENCY
ANEMIA
Nija Angeli Renacia
Edward Lee
Louis Nery
Introduction
Iron is important because it
helps you get enough oxygen
throughout your body. Your body
uses iron to make hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is a part of your
red blood cells. If there isn't
enough iron available, hemoglobin
production is limited, which in
turns affects the production of red
blood cells (RBCs).
A decreased amount of hemoglobin
and RBCs in the bloodstream is
known as anemia. Because RBCs
are needed to carry oxygen
throughout the body, anemia
results in less oxygen reaching the
cells and tissues, affecting their
function.
Iron deficiency anemia
is the most common type
of anemia,
also known as
sideropenic anemia. It
is the most common cause
of microcytic anemia.
Iron deficiency anemia
occurs when the dietary
intake or absorption of
iron is insufficient, and
hemoglobin, which
contains iron, cannot be
formed.
In the United States,
20% of all women of
childbearing age have
iron deficiency anemia,
compared with only 2%
of adult men. The
principal cause of iron
deficiency anemia in
premenopausal women is
blood lost during menses.
Iron-deficiency anemia doesn't develop
immediately. Instead, a person progresses
through stages of iron deficiency,
– beginning with iron depletion, in which the
amount of iron in the body is reduced while the
iron in RBCs remains constant. If iron depletion
isn't corrected, it progresses to iron deficiency,
eventually leading to IDA.
History
A disease believed to be iron
deficiency anemia is described in
about 1500 B.C. in the Egyptian
Ebers papyrus.
It was termed chlorosis or green
sickness in Medieval Europe, and iron
salts were used for treatment in
France by the mid-17th century.
What causes iron deficiency
anemia?
low levels of iron in the body.
– Because you:
Have heavy menstrual bleeding.
Are not getting enough iron in food
Have bleeding inside your body
Cannot absorb iron well in your body.
High-risk groups include:
– Women of child-bearing age who have blood
loss through menstruation
– Pregnant or lactating women who have an
increased requirement for iron
– Infants, children, and adolescents in rapid
growth phases
– People with a poor dietary intake of iron
Risk factors related to blood loss are
peptic ulcer disease, long term aspirin use,
and colon cancer
Infant Development
Iron deficiency anemia for infants in their
earlier stages of development may have
significantly greater consequences than it does
for adults.
Iron deficiency anemia affects neurological
development by:
– decreasing learning ability,
– altering motor functions, and
– permanently reducing the number of dopamine
receptors and seratonin levels.
Iron deficiency during development can lead to:
– reduced myelination of the spinal cord,
– change in myelin composition.
Symptoms
Pale skin color
Fatigue
Irritability
Weakness
Shortness of breath
Sore tongue
Brittle nails
Unusual food cravings (called pica)
Decreased appetite (especially in
children)
Headache - frontal
Blue tinge to sclerae (whites of eyes)
Note: There may be no symptoms if
anemia is mild.
Diagnosis
Anemia is usually
detected or at least
confirmed by a complete
blood cell (CBC) count.
CBC test may be ordered
by a physician as a part of
routine general check-up
and screening or based on
clinical signs and
symptoms that may
suggest anemia or other
blood abnormalities.
Treatment
Supplemental iron is needed during
pregnancy and lactation because
normal dietary intake rarely
supplies the required amount.
Oral iron supplements are available
(ferrous sulfate). The best
absorption of iron is on an empty
stomach, but many people are
unable to tolerate this and may
need to take it with food. Milk and
antacids may interfere with
absorption of iron and should not
be taken at the same time as iron
supplements.
Vitamin C can increase absorption
and is essential in the production of
hemoglobin.
Erythropoietin is a natural hormone which
stimulates the production of red blood
cells by the bone marrow. Man-made
versions of erythropoietin are available.
They can be given to people having
chemotherapy
Intravenous or intra-muscular iron is
available for patients who can't tolerate
forms taken by mouth.
Foods rich in Iron
Green Leafy Vegetables
Broccoli, Spinach, curly kale,
spring greens, spring onions
Sardines, Fortified breakfast
cereals
Whole meal bread, Whole Grain
Bread
Pulses like red lentils, chickpeas,
baked beans, kidney beans, Black-
eyed peas
Cashew nuts, Sunflower seeds
Dried fruits like apricots, prunes
and figs
Baked potatoes.
Eggs, Tofu, Brown or Converted
Rice
Enriched Pasta, Beef, lamb, kidney,
dark chicken meat, Lean Red
Meats.
Iron-deficiencyanemia usually can
be successfully treated. Treatment
will depend on the cause and
severity of the condition. Treatments
may include changes to your diet,
medicines, and surgery.