Patients with iron deficiency anemia or isolated iron deficiency are often asymptomatic or show non-specific symptoms and come to medical attention because of abnormal blood tests. In other cases symptoms are directly related to anemia or to the underlying disorder responsible for iron deficiency. In young individuals iron deficiency anemia may go unnoticed until severe, because slow development allows cardiovascular adaptation mechanisms, promoting increased cardiac output and thus maintaining tissue oxygenation. On the contrary, anemia in the elderly may trigger dyspnea, palpitations, or angina due to ischemic cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and/or arrhythmias.

Complaints such as pallor, fatigue, weakness, headache, and dizziness are common but nonspecific. Epithelial signs of iron deficiency such as frail and broken nails, koilonychia, alopecia, atrophic glossitis, angular cheilitis, and rarely dysphagia, due to Plummer-Vinson esophageal webs, are more specific but occur almost exclusively in severe longstanding deficiency. Pica is a compulsive behavior to eat non-nutritive substances such as clay, paper, and ice (pagophagia); this rare, suggestive symptom may worsen iron deficiency. Restless leg syndrome, a distressing condition of uncontrollable leg movements, likely reflects a neurological iron deficiency. Elderly patients may present with tachycardia, increased cold sensitivity due to peripheral vasoconstriction, high systolic with low diastolic blood pressure in the context of a high-output syndrome when anemia is severe. Cardiac ejection murmurs may be present at heart auscultation.

Decreased attention and concentration ability is common in school-age children and adolescents, while in the elderly iron deficiency may accelerate cognitive decline. Decreased physical performance, exercise tolerance, and work productivity ascribed to iron deficiency in adults have important socioeconomic impact. Iron deficiency in pregnancy may have deleterious effects on both mother and fetus, with adverse outcomes including increased risk of preterm labor and low neonatal weight.

A correct diagnosis of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia should always include the investigation of the cause. The cause can be “physiologic” as in case of high, unmet iron needs of children and young menstruating or pregnant women. However, even in these cases a careful history and physical examination should be taken to exclude unlikely pathological causes. In males, postmenopausal females, and the elderly it is mandatory to exclude gastrointestinal blood losses; in young females a search for a gastrointestinal cause is recommended in symptomatic, iron unresponsive or relapsing cases. In the presence of comorbidities and especially in old individuals, discontinuation of drugs that interfere with iron absorption or favor blood loss has to be considered whenever possible.

The detection of iron deficiency superimposed on the anemia of inflammation may be challenging because symptoms of the under lying disorder may prevail, mask iron deficiency anemia, or cause fatigue, the same cardinal symptom of anemia. Usually the diagnosis is based on laboratory tests.

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

بمشاركة أكثر من 150 مؤمنة.. معهد القرآن الكريم النسوي يختتم محفله القرآني الرمضاني المركزي

ضمن فعاليات ملتقى النورين.. المجمع العلمي يطلق مسابقة سلسبيل القرآنية الجماهيرية في بابل

الحلقة 23 من جائزة العميد القرآنية تشهد تأهّل القارئ عمار سالم من العراق إلى المرحلة النهائية

مستشفى الكفيل التخصصي يقيم ورشة تدريبية عن جهاز الضغط السلبي لعلاج الجروح المعقدة

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

تأثير اللياقة البدنية على الدماغ

تجربة سريرية تظهر فوائد اللوز للمصابين بالسمنة

اكتشاف طريقة غير متوقعة لتقليل خطر الإصابة بالسكري

خمسة مؤشرات صحية مهملة قد تنقذ حياتك

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

علماء الجيولوجيا يفكون لغز الصدع العملاق تحت الماء في المحيط الأطلسي

تحذير جديد: الاحترار العالمي يتسارع وقد نكسر حاجز 1.5 درجة قبل 2030

الصين تكشف عن ألياف كربون تفوق قوة الفولاذ بـ10 مرات

الجهاز المناعي يظهر دورا غير متوقع في صحة العظام

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

Thyroid Imaging: nuclear Medicine Techniques - Thyroiditis

Thyroid Imaging: nuclear Medicine Techniques - Thyrotoxicosis

Pathobiology of Iron Deficiency

Outcome and Prevention of Infectious Diseases

Serum and Tissue Thyroid Hormone concentrations in NTI

Microorganism Entry, Invasion, and Dissemination: The Host’s Perspective

Microorganism Colonization of Host Surfaces

The Encounter Between Host and Microorganism

Systemic Approach to Anemia

Comparison of Etiologies of Anemia in Adults and Children

Mechanisms of Anemia

Peptic Ulcer Disease