Iron deficiency:
The most common type of malnutrition is iron deficiency. Children and women, especially pregnant women, constitute the largest percentage of those affected by it.
Symptoms of iron deficiency in children include delayed growth and behavioral disturbances, while in pregnant women, iron deficiency leads to premature birth and the birth of underweight newborns.
Iron is present in all cells of the body, 80% of it is in the form of hemoglobin, which works as a transporter of oxygen from the lungs to the various cells of the body.
Causes of iron deficiency:
Not eating sufficient amounts of foods that contain iron, such as meat, eggs, and some leafy vegetables.
Because iron is an essential element in the human body, especially in the formative stage, it is recommended for children and pregnant women to eat large quantities of these foods.
Birth bleeding and menstrual bleeding are among the most important causes of iron deficiency disease in women.
Internal bleeding in many pathological cases
“Stomach ulcers, benign tumors in the colon or small intestine, colon cancer.”
Frequent use of analgesics such as aspirin leads to stomach bleeding.
In some medical conditions or due to some surgical operations, the intestine loses its ability to absorb iron from food.
Angiodysplasia
The blood vessels are dysfunctional, fragile, and superficial, and are therefore highly susceptible to bleeding.
Chronic kidney disease and inflammatory bowel diseases;
Such as Crohn’s disease.
Esophagitis, intestinal parasitic infection.
Exposure to a major wound, donating a large amount of blood.
Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency:
If the deficiency is slight, it does not cause anemia, or it may cause anemia without symptoms.
But if it is severe, it is accompanied by signs and symptoms:
Feeling extremely tired and exhausted.
shortness of breath.
palpitations; It is the feeling of the heartbeat.
The patient may experience rapid heartbeat and may feel chest pain.
Pale skin color and itching.
Feeling head pain.
Tinnitus; It is when the patient hears sounds coming from inside the body.
Disturbance of the sense of taste, in addition to suffering from loss of appetite, especially in infants and children.
Irritation and ulceration of the tongue, in addition to painful ulcers on the corners of the mouth.
Nails break and their shape may change and become like a spoon.
Suffering from difficulty swallowing.