Women may have a pelvic examination if their GP thinks heavy menstrual bleeding menorrhagia may be the cause of their anaemia. During a pelvic examination, your GP will examine your vulva and labia external sex organs for signs of bleeding or infection. They may also examine you internally. This will involve your GP inserting lubricated gloved fingers into your vagina to feel whether your womb uterus is tender or enlarged.
A pelvic examination won't be carried out without your consent permission , and you can choose to have someone with you. In some cases, your GP may refer you to a gastroenterologist, a specialist in treating digestive conditions. They'll carry out a more thorough examination. For example, you may be referred to a gastroenterologist if your GP can't identify a cause and you have a particularly low haemoglobin level, or if your GP thinks there's a possibility your symptoms could be caused by stomach cancer or bowel cancer , although this is unlikely.
If you're a woman with heavy periods, you may be referred to a gynaecologist if you don't respond to treatment with iron supplements. Treatment for iron deficiency anaemia usually involves taking iron supplements and changing your diet to increase your iron levels, as well as treating the underlying cause.
Your GP will prescribe an iron supplement to restore the iron missing from your body. The most commonly prescribed supplement is ferrous sulphate, which is taken as a tablet, usually twice a day. These side effects should settle down over time. However, your GP may recommend taking the tablets with food or shortly after eating if you have troublesome side effects.
Your GP may also advise you to only take one or two tablets a day, instead of three, if you're finding side effects difficult to cope with. If you can't take ferrous sulphate because you get severe side effects, you may be prescribed a different iron supplement called ferrous gluconate. This supplement should cause fewer side effects because it contains a less concentrated dose of iron.
However, it may take longer for the iron levels in your body to be restored. In a few cases — for example, if you have chronic kidney disease CKD — iron injections may be recommended instead of tablets. As with all medications, it's important to store iron supplements out of the reach of children. An overdose of iron supplements in a young child can be fatal. If a lack of iron in your diet is thought to be contributing to your iron deficiency anaemia, your GP will tell you how to up your intake.
Your diet should include foods from all the major food groups to ensure it's healthy and balanced. In particular, food and drink containing vitamin C are important as vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. However, consuming large amounts of some foods and drinks, as well as certain medicines, may make it harder for your body to absorb iron. These include:. You may be referred to a nutrition specialist called a dietitian if you're finding it difficult to include iron in your diet.
They'll be able to give you detailed, personalised advice about how you can improve your diet. Your GP will also need to ensure the underlying cause of your anaemia is treated so it doesn't happen again.
For example, if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs are causing bleeding in your stomach, your GP may prescribe a different medicine to help minimise the risk of stomach bleeding. Your GP will ask you to return two to four weeks after you've started taking iron supplements to check how well you've responded to the treatment.
You'll have a blood test to check your haemoglobin levels. If your blood test results show an improvement, you'll be asked to continue taking iron supplements and return in two to four months for another blood test. Once your haemoglobin levels and red blood cells are normal, your GP will usually recommend continuing to take iron supplements for three months to help build up the iron levels in your body. After this, you should be able to stop taking the supplements, depending on the cause of your iron deficiency anaemia.
Your condition will be monitored every three months over the course of a year, and again a year later. This could happen if you don't get enough iron in your diet, you're pregnant, or you have consistently heavy periods. In such cases, you may be prescribed an ongoing iron supplement to help stop your anaemia returning. This will usually be a tablet, which you'll have to take once a day. If your iron levels don't improve, your GP will ask how regularly you've been taking your iron supplements.
Some people are put off taking the medication because of the side effects. However, your condition won't improve if you don't take the supplements. If you've been taking the supplements as prescribed and your iron levels still haven't improved, your GP may refer you to a specialist for an assessment.
Iron deficiency anaemia rarely causes serious or long-term complications, although some people with the condition find it affects their daily life. Iron deficiency anaemia can make you feel tired and lacking in energy lethargic. This may result in you being less productive at work, and you may find it difficult to stay awake or not feel able to exercise regularly.
Research has shown iron deficiency anaemia can affect your immune system — the body's natural defence system. This increases your vulnerability to infection. Adults with severe anaemia may be at risk of developing complications that affect their heart or lungs. For example, you may develop tachycardia , which is an abnormally fast heartbeat, or heart failure , where the heart fails to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.
Pregnant women with severe anaemia have an increased risk of developing complications, particularly during and after birth. They may also develop postnatal depression , which some women experience after having a baby.
Some cases of restless legs syndrome are thought to be caused by iron deficiency anaemia. Doctors often refer to this as secondary restless legs syndrome. Restless legs syndrome is a common condition that affects the nervous system, and causes an overwhelming, irresistible urge to move the legs. It also causes an unpleasant feeling in the feet, calves and thighs.
Restless legs syndrome caused by iron deficiency anaemia can usually be treated with iron supplements. Home Illnesses and conditions Nutritional Iron deficiency anaemia. Iron deficiency anaemia See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About iron deficiency anaemia 2.
Causes of iron deficiency anaemia 3. Diagnosing iron deficiency anaemia 4. Treating iron deficiency anaemia 5. Complications of iron deficiency anaemia. About iron deficiency anaemia Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells.
Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia Many people with iron deficiency anaemia only have a few symptoms. The most common symptoms include: tiredness and lack of energy lethargy shortness of breath noticeable heartbeats heart palpitations a pale complexion Less common symptoms include: headache hearing sounds that come from inside the body, rather than from an outside source tinnitus an altered sense of taste feeling itchy a sore or abnormally smooth tongue hair loss a desire to eat non-food items, such as ice, paper or clay pica difficulty swallowing dysphagia painful open sores ulcers on the corners of your mouth spoon-shaped nails When to see your GP See your GP if you experience symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia.
Read more about diagnosing iron deficiency anaemia What causes iron deficiency anaemia? Read more about the causes of iron deficiency anaemia How iron deficiency anaemia is treated Treatment for iron deficiency anaemia involves taking iron supplements to boost the low levels of iron in your body.
Good sources of iron include: dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale iron-fortified cereals or bread brown rice pulses and beans nuts and seeds meat, fish and tofu eggs dried fruit, such as dried apricots, prunes and raisins Read more about treating iron deficiency anaemia Further problems If iron deficiency anaemia is left untreated, it can make you more susceptible to illness and infection, as a lack of iron affects the body's natural defence system the immune system.
People who have had gastric bypass surgery for weight loss or other reasons may also be iron deficient due to poor absorption. Vitamin-deficiency anemia may result from low levels of vitamin B12 or folate folic acid , usually due to poor dietary intake. Pernicious anemia is a condition in which vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Anemia and Pregnanc y - Learn about the risk factors and symptoms of anemia during pregnancy.
Aplastic anemia is a rare bone marrow failure disorder in which the bone marrow stops making enough blood cells red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. However, the few blood cells the marrow does make are normal. Viral infections, ionizing radiation, and exposure to toxic chemicals or drugs can also result in aplastic anemia.
Hemolytic anemia occurs when red blood cells are broken up in the bloodstream or in the spleen. Hemolytic anemia may be due to mechanical causes leaky heart valves or aneurysms , infections, autoimmune disorders, or congenital abnormalities in the red blood cell. Inherited abnormalities may affect the hemoglobin or the red blood cell structure or function.
Examples of inherited hemolytic anemias include some types of thalassemia and low levels of enzymes such as glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. The treatment will depend on the cause. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited hemolytic anemia in which the hemoglobin protein is abnormal, causing the red blood cells to be rigid and clog the circulation because they are unable to flow through small blood vessels.
Anemia caused by other diseases - Some diseases can affect the body's ability to make red blood cells. For example, some patients with kidney disease develop anemia because the kidneys are not making enough of the hormone erythropoietin to signal the bone marrow to make new or more red blood cells. Chemotherapy used to treat various cancers often impairs the body's ability to make new red blood cells, and anemia often results from this treatment.
Iron-deficiency anemia is almost always due to blood loss. If you have iron-deficiency anemia, your doctor may order tests to determine if you are losing blood from your stomach or bowels. Other nutritional anemias, such as folate or B deficiency, may result from poor diet or from an inability to absorb vitamins in the gastrointestinal tract.
Treatment varies from changing your diet to taking dietary supplements. This most common type of anemia is caused by a shortage of iron in your body. Your bone marrow needs iron to make hemoglobin. Without adequate iron, your body can't produce enough hemoglobin for red blood cells.
Without iron supplementation, this type of anemia occurs in many pregnant women. It's also caused by blood loss, such as from heavy menstrual bleeding; an ulcer in the stomach or small bowel; cancer of the large bowel; and regular use of some pain relievers that are available without a prescription, especially aspirin, which can cause inflammation of the stomach lining resulting in blood loss.
It's important to determine the source of iron deficiency to prevent recurrence of the anemia. Chronic conditions. If you have cancer, kidney failure or another chronic condition, you could be at risk of anemia of chronic disease.
These conditions can lead to a shortage of red blood cells. Slow, chronic blood loss from an ulcer or other source within your body can deplete your body's store of iron, leading to iron deficiency anemia. Many types of anemia can't be prevented. But you can avoid iron deficiency anemia and vitamin deficiency anemias by eating a diet that includes a variety of vitamins and minerals, including:. If you're concerned about getting enough vitamins and minerals from food, ask your doctor whether a multivitamin might help.
Anemia care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Anemia is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body's tissues. Aplastic anemia Iron deficiency anemia Sickle cell anemia Thalassemia Vitamin deficiency anemia.
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