Iron supplements are absorbed best if taken one hour before meals. Taking them before you eat, though, may give you an upset stomach or constipation. Talk with your doctor about the best way to handle side effects. Some people have digestive problems when they take iron. Do not drink milk or take antacids at the same time as your iron supplements. They may interfere with absorbing the iron. It usually takes about 2 to 3 weeks of regular iron supplements before your symptoms start to improve.
You may need to keep taking iron for several months to build up your reserves of iron and prevent your anemia from returning. Take your pills for as long as your doctor recommends, even if your symptoms have improved. Diet and nutrition. Eating more iron-rich foods is a good, natural way to improve your health. There are many things that can lead to a lack of iron in the body. In men and post-menopausal women, the most common cause is bleeding in the stomach and intestines.
This can be caused by a stomach ulcer, stomach cancer , bowel cancer , or by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs. In women of reproductive age, heavy periods and pregnancy are the most common causes of iron deficiency anaemia as your body needs extra iron for your baby during pregnancy. Unless you're pregnant, it's rare for iron deficiency anaemia to be caused just by a lack of iron in your diet.
However, if you do lack dietary iron, it may mean you're more likely to develop anaemia than if you have one of the problems mentioned above. Read more about the causes of iron deficiency anaemia.
Treatment for iron deficiency anaemia involves taking iron supplements to boost the low levels of iron in your body. This is usually effective, and the condition rarely causes long-term problems. You'll need to be monitored every few months to check the treatment is working and your iron levels have returned to normal. The underlying cause will need to be treated so you don't get anaemia again.
Increasing the amount of iron in your diet may also be recommended. Read more about treating iron deficiency anaemia. 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. Severe iron deficiency anaemia may increase your risk of developing complications that affect the heart or lungs, such as an abnormally fast heartbeat tachycardia or heart failure , where your heart is unable to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.
Pregnant women with severe or untreated anaemia also have a higher risk of complications before and after birth. Read more about the complications of iron deficiency anaemia. Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when the body doesn't have enough iron, leading to the decreased production of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. A lack of iron can be caused by several factors. Some of the most common causes of iron deficiency anaemia are outlined below.
Usually, only women with heavy periods develop iron deficiency anaemia. If you have heavy bleeding over several consecutive menstrual cycles, it's known as menorrhagia. This is because your body needs extra iron to ensure your baby has a sufficient blood supply and receives necessary oxygen and nutrients. Some pregnant women require an iron supplement, while others may need to increase the amount of iron in their diet.
Read more about vitamins and minerals in pregnancy. The gastrointestinal tract is the part of the body responsible for digesting food. It contains the stomach and intestines. Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract is the most common cause of iron deficiency anaemia in men, as well as women who've experienced the menopause when monthly periods stop.
Most people with gastrointestinal bleeding don't notice any obvious blood in their stools and don't experience any changes in their bowel habits. If your GP thinks your medication is causing gastrointestinal bleeding, they can prescribe a less harmful medicine. However, don't stop taking a medicine you've been prescribed unless your GP advises you to.
The acid in your stomach, which helps your body digest food, can sometimes eat into your stomach lining. When this happens, the acid forms an open sore an ulcer. This is also known as a stomach ulcer or a peptic ulcer. Stomach ulcers can cause the stomach lining to bleed, which can lead to anaemia. In some cases, the bleeding can cause you to vomit blood or pass blood in your stools. However, if the ulcer bleeds slowly, you may not have any symptoms. In a few cases, gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by cancer, usually stomach cancer or bowel cancer.
If your GP suspects cancer, you'll be referred to a gastroenterologist a specialist in treating digestive conditions for a more thorough examination. This means that if cancer is found, it can be treated as quickly as possible. If you're 60 years old or over and have iron deficiency anaemia, your GP should refer you to a specialist to rule out bowel cancer. Your appointment with the specialist should be within two weeks of your GP referring you.
Gastrointestinal bleeding can also be caused by a condition called angiodysplasia. This is the result of abnormal, fragile superficial blood vessels in the gastrointestinal tract, which can cause bleeding. People with chronic kidney disease CKD often develop iron deficiency anaemia. Most people with CKD who have iron deficiency anaemia will be given iron supplement injections, although daily tablets may be tried first.
Other conditions or actions that cause blood loss and may lead to iron deficiency anaemia include:. Malabsorption is when your body can't absorb iron from food, and is another possible cause of iron deficiency anaemia. This may happen if you have coeliac disease , a common digestive condition where a person has an adverse reaction to gluten, or surgery to remove all or part of your stomach gastrectomy.
Unless you're pregnant, it's rare for iron deficiency anaemia to be caused solely by a lack of iron in your diet. However, a lack of dietary iron can increase your risk of developing anaemia if you also have any of the conditions mentioned above. Some studies suggest vegetarians or vegans are more at risk of iron deficiency anaemia because of the lack of meat in their diet. In most cases, this condition is easily treatable. Sometimes, a lack of iron can lead to iron-deficiency anemia.
This is when the body does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood. Iron is in many different types of foods, including fish, fortified cereals, beans, meat, and leafy green vegetables.
The National Institutes of Health recommend that male adults get 8 milligrams mg of iron per day and that female adults get 18 mg per day before 50 years of age and 8 mg after that age. Some medical conditions and medications may prevent the body from absorbing iron properly, even when a person is eating plenty of iron-rich foods. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells. For this reason, blood loss can result in iron deficiencies and anemia.
Blood loss can be a result of injury, or too frequent blood tests or donations. But it can also occur with certain conditions or medications, including:.
Iron is particularly important during periods of growth. For this reason, children and pregnant women have a higher risk of developing iron deficiency and anemia than others. The results of these tests can provide information such as the total amount of red blood cells and iron content in the blood.
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