Health, Diseases and Conditions
Signs of lack of iron in the body. Iron deficiency: causes, treatment
The human body has a very complex structure and functions. One of the important roles in human life is played by iron. In the blood, this substance is contained in an amount of 70% of the total body stock, and 30% of it is part of the so-called non-heme units: protein molecules, enzymes, cellular structures.
Ferrum is not synthesized inside the body, so for normal functioning and vital activity of the latter it must come from the external environment. If the substance is not enough, a person may notice signs of a lack of iron in the body. This article is devoted to this article.
Why a person needs iron
Virtually all substances in the human body play a role, and iron is no exception. We all know from the school bench that ferrum is transporting oxygen all over the body, so we continue to live. In addition, iron in the blood of a person performs a number of equally useful functions, including binding and removing free radicals. And this substance directly affects the formation of natural human immunity and is involved in the myelination of nerve cells, or rather, fibers.
A lowered level of iron in the blood can provoke a number of complex disorders. Especially dangerous is the phenomenon for children, since their body is not fully formed. Also, there is a danger of lack of iron during pregnancy. In this case, the body suffers both the mother and the fetus.
Daily iron norm
So that people are not bothered by unpleasant signs of a lack of iron in the body, it is worth paying attention to information about the daily requirement for this substance. According to medical data, men need iron almost half as much as women and children. Their daily rate is about 10 mg, while the fairer sex must eat at least 15-20 mg of ferrule a day.
If such norms of consumption are observed, signs of a lack of iron in the body may not appear even after heavy bleeding. The fact is that the body has the ability to accumulate a reserve stock of this substance and from it to replenish the lost milligrams.
Causes of iron deficiency in adults
Lack of substances in adults occurs for several reasons. The norm of iron in the blood, as mentioned above, is different for men and women, and it is women who suffer most from the lack of this substance. The fact is that the main cause of iron deficiency in them are such factors as profuse bleeding in the menstrual period, the presence of pregnancy or rigid diets. In the male part of the population, iron deficiency is formed more often due to increased physical exertion and problems with the digestive organs: peptic ulcer, diverticulosis and hemorrhoids. In both sexual groups, iron deficiency can occur due to prolonged treatment with antibiotics and aspirin. This type of disease is also known as a medicinal form of anemia.
Iron deficiency in children: causes
In childhood, the norm of iron in the blood depends on several factors (weight and age for example), and its lack can arise For several reasons, which do not always depend on the nutrition and activity of the child. First, it is worthwhile to distinguish two groups of such disorders, some of which arise during the period of intrauterine development, while others develop in the process of growth and development of the baby after his birth. The first case includes a variety of pathologies in the mother, leading to a violation of blood circulation in the placenta, bleeding during pregnancy. In addition, the presence of two or more fetuses in the uterus, prematurity and iron deficiency anemia plays a role.
In the second case, the reasons for the lack of iron lie in the early bandaging of the umbilical cord, the artificial feeding in the first months of the child's life with unadapted mixtures. In addition, the cause of iron deficiency can be rapid growth due to improper feeding (this phenomenon occurs both in the first year of life and in adolescence), digestive disorders with insufficient digestibility of the ferrum and hormonal changes.
Signs of a lack of iron in the body
Often a person who lacks any substances in the body, at the initial stage of the deficit, does not experience any pronounced symptoms. Signs of a lack of iron in the body, however, very often can be seen at the earliest stages. Usually the following symptoms occur:
- Fatigue, fatigue and memory impairment;
- Headaches and muscle pains;
- Sleep disorders;
- Fragility and hair loss;
- Pallor of the skin and mucous membranes;
- Burning sensation in the tongue.
How else can there be a shortage of iron? Symptoms of iron deficiency, especially in childhood, can consist in increased nervousness, tearfulness and lack of appetite. Often a child suffering from this type of anemia, there are perverse food addictions (eating earth, sand, chalk). It is also often possible to notice the patient's craving for inhaling kerosene and gasoline vapors. Or he often wants to sniff soap and other chemicals.
With complicated flow and lack of treatment, a lack of iron in the body can provoke changes in the area of the mucous membranes of the mouth and pharynx. As a result, the patient suffers from constant dryness in the mouth and caused by this phenomenon difficulty with swallowing food. Changing and perception of taste due to pathological changes in the taste buds ("polished" or "lacquer" language).
How to treat iron deficiency?
In the case of iron deficiency anemia, treatment should be started as soon as possible. The number of compulsory therapeutic procedures includes reimbursement of the shortage of the mentioned substance with the use of medicines (salt or non-salt), normalization of nutrition and maintaining a sufficient level of iron in the blood.
It should be noted that without tablets, that is, preparations for oral administration, it is practically impossible to get rid of iron deficiency anemia. That's why experts first of all evaluate the state of the patient's gastrointestinal tract, and only after that they prescribe the most suitable medicines.
To achieve the maximum therapeutic effect of taking iron preparations, it is important to observe several conditions:
- Dosage medications based on the needs of the organism of each individual patient.
- Take medication during the period of the greatest activity of the gastrointestinal tract, that is, after eating.
- In combination with iron preparations, prescribe ascorbic acid and pancreatin for better assimilation of medicines and protection of the gastrointestinal tract from the effects of the chemical compounds formed.
- The minimum course of treatment with preparations containing iron should be at least 2 months.
By observing these norms, it is possible to restore the balance of substances in the body, as a result of which the patient will recover the normal functioning of almost all organs.
Preparations containing iron
Most often in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, specialists use drugs containing hydrogen reduced iron, as well as organic compounds: lactate or carbonate, ferrous oxide, malic acid, iron ascorbate or lactic ferrous iron.
The most effective drugs are "Gemostimulin", "Ferroaloe", "Ferroplex", "Ferrocal", "Fervoken" and many others. In addition, the patient will need to include in the diet veal, offal (kidney and liver), vegetables of the family of nightshade (tomatoes, eggplant) and berries (cranberries, currants, sea buckthorn and rosehips). It will be useful to drink beverages from the leaves of nettle and strawberry, as well as dried rosehips.
Treatment of iron deficiency in the body should be conducted under the supervision of a specialist. It is not allowed to select drugs independently, especially in case of iron deficiency anemia in children and pregnant women.
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