Anemia occurs when you don’t have a sufficient number of red blood cells to get oxygen to your tissues and organs. Anemia is also called “low hemoglobin.” This condition makes you feel weak and tired.

There are several types of anemia, and each type has its own cause. Anemia can be temporary or long-term and can be mild or severe. See your doctor if you think you have anemia. You might have a serious problem. Be safe, don’t be sorry.

In this post, we’re only going to talk about a common form of anemia due to low Iron levels. This is called Iron Deficiency Anemia and is fairly common in men and women. Since Iron is critical in the production of red blood cells, the lack of Iron is a common cause of anemia.

What Causes Low Iron Levels?

First, a diet deficient in iron will lead to low iron levels. There is a simple solution to this – simply eating more foods high in Iron levels. It might take a while for these dietary changes to take effect, so your doctor might give you an Iron supplement for a month to get you kick-started.

Second, a significant loss of blood can lower iron levels. Menstruating women might experience short-term or transient anemia – this is usually self-resolving but might require treatment. Internal blood loss in both sexes is also a potential cause of low Iron, and this will require a temporary supplement and further testing to find the cause.

Note that pregnant women will need to produce lots of additional blood and are typically put on a supplement that includes Iron.

Iron And Blood:

  1. Anemia is a lack of enough red blood cells.
  2. RBCs are constantly produced in bones.
  3. RBCs have an average life of 90 days.
  4. Decomposing RBCs make your poop brown.
  5. Iron is not “made” in your body; it must come from an external source.
  6. Iron can only be measured by blood tests.
  7. Too much Iron is not good – it can be corrosive and harmful. You must maintain a balance.

Anemia and low Iron:

Insufficient Iron will always lead (eventually) to anemia, but anemia will not always mean low Iron. If you are weak and tired all of the time, see your doctor. They will do a blood draw and maybe some other tests.

The blood draw will measure the Iron in your bloodstream (the Iron you have in your blood today – a snapshot). The blood sample will also be analyzed for its Ferritin levels. Ferritin is Iron in a form that is stored and prepped for making red blood cells.

Think of Ferritin as a gas tank filled with Iron from your blood. This means that your Iron level could be low or high on any given day, but your Ferritin levels should be stable and in the normal range.

If both your blood Iron and Ferritin levels are low, your doctor will likely prescribe you an Iron supplement and possibly do further testing.

A Final Word:

Lots of things can cause you to feel weak and tired. Iron deficiency is only one of them. To rule out Iron as a problem, make sure your diet consistently has an adequate amount of the foods listed in the link I gave you above.

If, however, you meet with your doctor because you just feel tired and beat, it’s legitimate to ask for a Ferritin test – it’s not a big deal, but it’s a test that’s not always done. Low and High Ferritin levels might lead to further testing and more serious issues.

Be safe, not sorry.

OMY1

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