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Iron is a Body Requirement Which is Effective in Proper Functioning of the Body- Do Not Neglect It!
Even after years of advancement in the medical industry, some conditions are still prevailing in our lives, iron deficiency anemia is one amongst them. We are maintaining a healthy lifestyle still, iron deficiency is the greatest problem to fight in the current time. From small children to women everyone is facing this deficiency and it is high time to get a proper cure. The risk has been found in women, especially 42% of pregnant women face this. In such a serious situation, awareness among women about anemia and its precautions are necessary. Let’s find out, how to heal from Iron deficiency with simplistic methods.
The most prevalent anemia in the world is an iron deficiency and women tend to easily get it. The first common reason is loss of blood every month due to menstruation. To replace the lost blood in your body system, iron is important. The risk of anemia gets higher when there is more loss of blood than usual. Bleeding caused by intrauterine devices (IUDs) for birth control is also one of the reasons concerning Iron deficiency in women.
Secondly, women need extra iron to nurture the child for their proper growth in the womb. A pregnant woman requires 50 percent more iron than the usual. So if a woman is planning for pregnancy, she must check her iron levels. The recommended iron level is 27 mg for pregnant women and 10 mg for breastfeeding women. Prenatal vitamins have sufficient iron which can help in preventing low iron in a pregnant woman. It is found that one in every six women has an iron deficiency. Also, the infant suffers from this condition as their mother get this deficiency during the period of childbearing.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia
Iron-deficiency does not happen rapidly but it happens slowly. You won’t feel any symptoms in the beginning but once when the deficiency increases, the symptoms would be visible. These are the following symptoms:
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Headache
- Low body temperature
- Pale or yellow skin
- Breath problem
- Pica
- Brittle nails
- Fatigue
If you feel any such symptoms, meet your doctor and have a complete blood checkup.
Why Iron Levels in Women Go Low?
Below are some of the main reasons because of which iron levels in women go low. Let’s know these reasons:
- If a woman has a problem regarding digestive systems like colon polyps, ulcers or colon cancer.
- Donating blood without keeping the required gap between donations.
- Consuming more pain relievers like aspirin for a long time.
- Prolonged menstrual cycle with extreme bleeding.
- Uterine fibroid which is referred to as a noncancerous growth in the uterus causes heavy bleeding.
- When you are not intaking food which is rich in iron. Vegetarians have more iron deficiency as they consume less or no animal-based foods.
- Lack of consumption of food which is rich in Vitamin C.
- Due to Gastric Bypass surgery, Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease a person is not able to consume iron.
Identifying Iron Deficiency in Women
The first thing which you have to understand is that don’t jump to any conclusions that you are having anemia. Your doctor may ask you questions like:
- Health history including the menstrual period is important for your doctor to know. He or she may also ask you about the digestive system, that can be blood in your stool.
- Inquire about the food you eat, lifestyle and also ask you the time you sleep.
- Family history is also one of the things which can be discussed when heading for anemia check-up.
- A doctor would also ask about medicines if you are taking any.
- A health check-up of your complete blood count will be conducted, as it directly detects anemia in the blood.
- Your doctor may also do other check-ups that are important for detecting anemia.
- From the health check-up, your doctor will identify the main cause of anemia and give you the required medicine or when it is intense, surgery would be undertaken.
Methods to Heal Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency in women can be dangerous because the hormonal cycle in a woman’s body changes very frequently causing more blood loss. These are some of the preventive measures you can exert to heal iron deficiency anemia easily.
Prevent Excessive Bleeding
When you have an ulcer, your doctor may treat you with antibiotics. In case you are heavily bleeding because of the polyp or cancerous tumour, you will require surgery to get it removed. Hormonal birth control pills are also given when there is excessive blood loss. If still, your blood flow does not end, your doctor may suggest surgery to you. Also, make sure to maintain menstrual hygiene during excessive bleeding.
Consume Iron-rich Foods
The foremost thing your doctor would suggest is to eat iron-rich foods which we often avoid in our meals. The good sources of iron are meat, chicken, leafy vegetables and dark. Most vegan faces anemia as they do not consume animal products. You must intake foods which help your body to absorb iron. The fruits like strawberries, broccoli, orange juices and fruits with the highest Vitamin C is the best to cure an iron deficiency in the body. The people who take a balanced and healthy diet need not worry about iron, as they consume all types of nutrients in their food. Most of the people have this habit of consuming beverages with meals, this would obstruct your body to absorb iron. Calcium is another factor which prevents iron to reach your body. So if you are taking lots of calcium tablets, you are also decreasing iron in your body.
Vegetarian Iron-deficiency Fighting Foods
Most of the vegetarians find it difficult to consume iron in their foods as there is excessive iron only in non-veg food like chicken and meat. Also, the body can absorb more iron from meat than from the vegetables. If you are vegetarian, these are some of the only iron-rich sources available:
Lentils and beans
Tofu
Dark chocolate
Chickpeas
Canned tomatoes
Bread and cereals with added iron
Spinach and Broccoli
You can make a variety of dishes from veggies which are rich in iron. Also, you can eat raw veggies to get a pure form of iron. Moreover, if you are a chocolate fan, chocolate shake, chocolate brownie and chocolate cake will be a treat full of iron. Bread and cereals can be consumed during meals as they also have a sufficient amount of iron in it.
Iron Pills
Sometimes a doctor recommends iron pills when there is a great deficiency of iron. Do not take this as your friends or family member is consuming because overdosage of iron can also cause many critical health conditions. Also, do not consume the tablets in one go, take one in the morning breakfast, one after lunch and the last one after taking proper dinner. You can also take this tablet with orange juice as it is also a rich form of iron which will help your body to absorb iron easily. If you are not getting results with the pills, ask your doctor to change the medicine. Brush your teeth after taking the pills, as that would reduce the staining of your teeth.
It’s Never too late To Improve Your Lifestyle
There are a lot of changes which happens when you have iron deficiency in the blood. You might feel dizzy at times so the best way to fight against this problem is to follow a healthy lifestyle. Sleeping on time would increase your stamina also make sure you are eating healthy food. Avoid eating junk as it does not have any nutrition which is required for your body. Alcohol and cigarette smoking can be harmful to your body, quit it or reduce it. Remember! A little change in your lifestyle and food habits can provide you with a better life.