Iron Deficiency Anemia Symptoms
How can Iron Deficiency Anemia be treated?
Its not about diagnosing your problem but getting down to what’s causing it. In this case taking a proper diet and also supplementation of iron rich vitamins for a short period to bring your iron blood levels to normal and then stopping the treatment as extra iron could lead to toxicity.
Taking Iron with Vitamins
Supplementation with the right vitamin formulations. We are all different in our cellular body make-up. You will find that the iron levels will vary from person to person and also during the life cycle of the individual. What I mean by this is that iron deficiency is more prominent among women and will be seen more so in their early years. Women menstruating will have less iron than women not in their monthly cycle. Men do not necessary have iron blood levels that are low and do not have a similar problem as women. Men have to be careful that they select a multimineral that has no iron in it.
Take vitamins that have been tested and rated for their potency, purity, safety, bioavailability and balanced formulations. All supplements are not created equal and it is important not to go just by the recommendation of the chemist. Do some research of your own on this subject of vitamins tested and rated. You can access alot of independent information out there for you to read on this subject. One such resource is “The Comparative Guide To Nutritional Supplements” by Lyle MacWilliam Bsc, Msc, FP. You will save not only money but your health will improve with high potency supplement products.
Supplement with Iron
In fact supplementation with iron in the vitamin should not be present unless you have had a blood iron test done and your doctor has recommended you to go on a course of iron vitamins for a few months to increase your iron levels in your blood. Do not take the iron pills unless you really need them. The potency of the tablet will be determined upon the results of blood test.
Check your Blood Iron Levels, Consult your Doctor
It is important that you check your iron levels in your blood after you have been on the iron supplements and see if you should lower your iron intake or even stop it altogether.Iron supplementation should take place under the direction of your family doctor.
Women as you are aware, vitamins with iron should not be taken unless you need them. You may have to be on the iron supplements for a few months to get your low iron levels up and only stop taking them or reduce the dosage after a doctor has checked your latest blood iron levels again. Then you will need to go back on a normal high potency vitamin with no iron in them. It would be advisable to check your iron levels regularly.
Side Effects
If you are experiencing any side effects please consult your doctor and reduce the levels if need be. Supplementation of iron can cause constipation and discoloration of bowel movements. Iron pills need to be taken with orange juice on an empty stomach to avoid constipation. Constipation may occur when you start your iron supplements in some cases. All you need to do is lower the dosage and slowly increase it to the full dosage in a few days. You may be able to reduce constipation by taking your iron pills with lots of water on an empty stomach. You may take iron pills with citrus fruits. Orange juice maybe a very good suggestion. The Vitamin C in citrus fruits helps the iron pills to be easily absorbed and reduces constipation.
List of Iron Rich Foods
Pork roast, cashew nuts, shrimps, raisins, sardines, spinach, lima beans, kidney beans, turkey, dark meat, prune juice, roast beef, peanuts, eggs, green beans, potatoes, eggs, Oysters, prunes, beef liver, clams, walnuts, ground beef, chickpeas and bran flakes are a few examples.
Iron Deficiency Anemia Symptoms
Iron in our blood is not visible to the naked eye and hence we do not worry about the iron levels until its symptoms arise. It is hugely forgotten so much so we forget how important it is to be present for our bodies to function in a proper balanced way. If iron is very low in our blood we will be left feeling very tired, disorientated or even depression may set in.To prevent this proper supplementation under the supervision of your doctor is important. Now you may go to the other extreme and take too much iron and that could leave you constipated, severe heart burns or upset tummies. This condition must be monitored by your doctor with a regular blood test.
Excessive Iron Over Dose
Hemochromatosis is characterised by the excessive absorption of iron. Normally, excess iron is safely stored in various joints and organs in the body, especially in the the liver. When a person suffers from haemochromatosis, excessive iron stores keep rising in time, the liver will enlarges and gets damaged, leading to serious diseases. One such disease is the cirrhosis of the liver. Other problems that can be caused by excessive amounts of blood iron include heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Both sexes, male and female are at risk, though women tend to develop the disease later in life, since regular menstrual periods deplete the body of much needed iron. As the symptoms are similar to a number of diseases haemochromatosis tends to be under-diagnosed. Excessive amounts of iron can be reduced by taking out blood from the patient and by reducing the intake of iron rich foods.
