Image Credit: Pexels
Iron deficiency remains the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. The Mayo Clinic notes that symptoms often start mild but worsen as the body's iron stores, or ferritin levels, reduce.
Image Credit: Pexels
Without enough iron, the body cannot produce sufficient haemoglobin to carry oxygen to tissues, resulting in low energy.
Image Credit: Pexels
A lack of haemoglobin, which gives blood its red colour, can cause the skin and mucous membranes to lose their healthy pink hue.
Image Credit: Pexels
When oxygen levels are low, the body increases its breathing rate to try and compensate for the deficiency.
Image Credit: Pexels
Reduced circulation and lower oxygen delivery to the extremities often result in a persistent feeling of cold.
Image Credit: Pexels
Known as koilonychia, this change in nail structure is a clinical sign of long-term iron depletion.
Image Credit: Pexels
A condition called pica involves intense cravings for substances like ice, dirt, or paper.
Image Credit: Pexels
Studies suggest that low iron levels in the brain can trigger the uncomfortable "crawling" sensation in the legs at night.
Image Credit: Pexels
The lack of oxygen reaching the brain can cause the blood vessels to swell, leading to pressure and light-headedness.
Image Credit: Pexels
Iron deficiency can cause atrophic glossitis, where the tongue becomes strangely smooth, pale, or inflamed.
Image Credit: Pexels
The heart must pump harder and faster to circulate the limited amount of oxygen available in the blood.
Image Credit: Pexels
Image Credit: Pexels
For More Stories
like this check out: