Conditions that drains iron from your body are poor dietary intake or malabsorption, chronic blood loss and increased bodily demands.
Common causes of iron draining from your body e heavy menstrual bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding like from ulcers, polyps, or NSAID use, intestinal conditions like Celiac disease and even frequent donation of blood.
Major causes of iron depletion from your body are blood loss, gastrointestinal malabsorption, dietary factors, increased biological demands and even strenuous exercise.
Endurance athletes can lose iron through sweat and the regular breakdown of red blood cells during intense training.
Pregnancy and lactation also rapidly deplete iron stores as the body needs to support the blood volume and development of the baby.
And rapid growth spurts in infants and adolescents also increase iron requirements.
And consuming or eating too little iron rich food or having poorly absorbed plant based (non heme) iron, results in low iron levels.
Also consuming iron blockers like calcium, phytates in whole grains or tannins in coffee and tea during the same meal can reduce iron absorption.
Even certain conditions prevent your small intestine from absorbing iron properly, which include Celiac disease, Crohn's disease and even procedures like gastric bypass surgery can cause iron to drain from your body.
Regular use of antacids or stomach acid blockers can also hinder absorption of iron.
Blood also contains iron in red blood cells, which makes blood loss the most common cause of deficiency.
This includes frequent blood donations, heavy menstrual periods and slow internal bleeding, like from polyps, gastrointestinal ulcers and even certain cancers.
Correcting an iron deficiency takes between 3 months to 6 months although the initial symptoms of the iron deficiency like headaches and fatigue often improve and get better within 2 weeks to 4 weeks of beginning treatments like oral iron pills or if needed an iron infusion.
Correcting an iron deficiency with oral iron supplements takes months and intravenous or IV iron infusions can fix iron deficiencies within 4 to 8 weeks.
Also treating the root issues of iron deficiencies, like gastrointestinal absorption problems or heavy menstrual bleeding is also crucial for long term recovery from iron deficiency.
The 5 unexpected signs of low iron are Pica, koilonychia or spoon nails, Restless Legs Syndrome, glossitis and Tinnitus.
These 5 unexpected signs of low iron include:
1: Pica or Unusual Cravings, which is a bizarre and compulsive desire of chewing on ice or even non food items like chalk, clay, paper or even dirt.
2: Koilonychia (spoon nails) is where your fingernails become incredibly brittle, thin and then eventually they dip inward in the middle so that they then resemble a tiny spoon.
3: Restless Legs Syndrome or RLS is an irresistible and uncomfortable urge to move your legs, especially occurring at night or when you're trying to sleep or relax.
4: Glossitis (Swollen or Smooth Tongue), is when your tongue becomes swollen, inflamed or unusually smooth and shiny as a result of the loss of natural bumps or "papillae", which is sometimes also accompanied by a burning sensation.
5: And tinnitus, where you experience a persistent ringing, humming or whooshing sound in your ears, which does not have an external source.
Iron is very important to the body and having a lack of iron in the body, prevents your body from producing hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen.
The lack of iron or low iron in the body can result in iron deficiency anemia and cause symptoms like brittle nails, pale skin, shortness of breath and fatigue.
lack of iron or low iron in the body is caused primarily by for main issues, which include blood loss, dietary deficiencies, poor absorption and increased demand.
Heavy periods or gastrointestinal bleeding like from ulcers or regular use of pain relievers.
Dietary deficiencies such as from not eating enough iron rich foods like poultry, red meat, fish, lentils and spinach.
Poor iron absorption such as from digestive conditions such as celiac disease or gastrointestinal surgeries, which impair nutrient absorption.
And even growth spurts in children or increased blood volume during pregnancy.
If you suspect you have an iron deficiency you should speak with your doctor to get blood tests done such as a serum ferritin test to diagnose the condition accurately.
Treatment for iron deficiency involves addressing the underlying cause of the blood loss or malabsorption, incorporating iron rich foods into your diet and or taking iron supplements.