Iron and vitamin B12 are important for the well-being of your body. If you don’t get enough of these, you may feel run-down and may lead to anemia.
What is anemia?
Anemia is the condition of not having enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. There are many varieties, including Aplastic anemia, iron deficiency anemia, Folic acid anemia, and Chronic hemolytic anemia. One way to detect anemia is by checking for symptoms of the condition. A person can be anemic from birth, as a result of a condition such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia. In other instances, a person might have a low red blood cell count or insufficient production of specific parts of red blood cells.
Did you know that anemia may have some unusual symptoms? Keep reading for a list of the most common ones.
10. You’re short of breath or dizzy often
Without adequate iron and vitamin B12, the body struggles to produce enough hemoglobin. This type of protein is crucial for red blood cells to function, because it carries oxygen throughout the body. Hemoglobin is so rich with iron that it gives blood it’s color, which is why people are advised to eat more foods rich in iron. Iron and vitamin B12 are essential for red blood cell production. If not enough is available, hemoglobin levels may decrease. You may experience some of these symptoms: feeling breathless, feeling dizzy, and feeling lightheaded.
9. You’re just so darn tired
Well, if you’ve been feeling drained lately, maybe you should get your blood tested. According to University of Chicago Associate Professor of Medicine Andrew Artz, MD, one of the most common anemia symptoms is general exhaustion. “Fatigue is the predominant symptom,” Dr. Artz says. “The challenge of the symptom of fatigue is that every person has a different experience of how they notice it. Some will simply feel more tired; others will feel it with activity.”
The general feeling of being tired is caused by a lack of iron or vitamin B12. Without enough of these, there isn’t enough hemoglobin in your blood, and without enough of that, there isn’t enough oxygen getting to your brain.
8. Your skin is looking more pale
If you don’t have enough oxygen in your blood, you won’t be able to give your organs what they need. Of course, that includes your skin.
To avoid sallow skin, be sure to include iron and vitamin B12 in your diet. Without these two key substances, there might not be enough blood flow to the skin, which results in a paler-looking exterior.
7. You feel pain in your chest
As a result of a shortage in red blood cells, the heart has to work harder to move them through the body. This can cause a rapid heartbeat and increased chest pain in people with heart problems. This is not an issue to ignore, especially if you already have other heart complications.
5. You eat a vegan diet
Vegans and vegetarians have a hard time getting enough iron from the food they eat. Fortunately, there are some foods both groups can eat that have iron in them. Dark green leafy vegetables and soy beans have iron, as well as tofu.
Vegans are sometimes at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency. Plant-based sources of this vitamin are scarce, so vegans should be sure to take a supplement regularly to make up for the lack of nutrition. Allegra Burton insists that it is impossible to get the recommended amount of vitamin B12 from plants alone.
4. You’re craving ice cubes and other strange snacks
Some people with low iron levels experience pica. What’s that?
It’s the urge to eat non-nutritional items. One of the strangest is ice cubes, but other substances include baking soda, clay, or even pencils or dried paint. Doctors don’t know why patients experience the urge to chew or eat these substances.
There is still a lot to learn about the reasons for pica, despite its prevalence amongst anemic patients.
3. Your hands and feet are cold
If your hands or feet feel cold, it could be because you’re iron-deficient or anemic. When you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells, your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs to keep you warm. Iron helps red blood cells transmit heat and nutrients. If you think you might be deficient, see your doctor.
3. You’re getting an abnormal amount of headaches
If you find yourself having headaches too often, it may be time to check your iron levels. It can be caused by stress, lack of sleep, and other reasons. More headaches than usual might signal a problem. A headache can range from mild to severe, and it’s not always an easy diagnosis. Too often, people brush off a headache as “just a headache.” The problem may actually be low levels of iron. When the body doesn’t have enough oxygen, the brain can’t function properly.
2. You have an irregular heartbeat/heart palpitations
With iron-deficiency anemia, your heart may experience an abnormal amount of palpitations or noticeable heartbeats. This occurs because the person’s levels of hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen to the rest of your body, are low.
When there is not enough hemoglobin in the body, the heart has to work harder to carry oxygen. This leads to an irregular or quick heartbeat, which can cause a person to feel that their heart is beating out of control.
1. Cramping and Tingling in Limbs
The large leg muscles need a lot of blood and oxygen to function. When they don’t get enough oxygen, they have to work really hard and use more energy. This can lead to fatigue, cramps, restless leg syndrome (a condition that may contribute to insomnia).
Patients with low blood counts may feel itching or a crawling sensation in their feet and legs, which can get worse at night.