It is popularly called iron deficiency, but the official term is anemia. Anemia means that there is not enough hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin is the red blood cell that carries oxygen from your lungs to all the cells of your body. The medical term for anemia is anemia. The values at which someone has anemia depends on age and gender,” says De Weijer.
Symptoms
People can experience various symptoms of iron deficiency, but some people don’t notice any of this. “They do not experience any symptoms of anemia. But when people have significant anemia, they are often very tired and weak. They can also suffer from dizziness, palpitations, sweating, headache, looking pale and shortness of breath”, says De Weijer.
You can speak of iron deficiency when there is too little hemoglobin in the blood. “Too little hemoglobin in the blood can have three causes. Either too little iron in the body, or too little vitamin B12 or folic acid. The body needs all of these things to make hemoglobin, and thus carry oxygen. There may also be an underlying disease,” says De Weijer.
Causes
Too little iron in the blood can have various causes. De Weijer: “Women often develop anemia when they lose a lot of blood during menstruation. It can also occur when someone loses small amounts of blood through the stomach or intestines. This mainly happens when people take certain medications for a long time, such as ibuprofen or diclofenac. But this can also be due to stomach or intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory diseases or even cancer. Often this is the cause of anemia in men or women over fifty years old. Furthermore, anemia can also develop after surgery, childbirth or miscarriage. People who eat little or no food containing iron for a longer period of time can also suffer from anemia.
In addition to a deficiency of iron, anemia can be caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12 or folic acid. This is often seen in Crohn’s disease. Anemia can also develop with chronic use of stomach protectors or the diabetes drug metformin. When people follow a vegan diet, they can also suffer from this, because vitamin B12 is found in animal foods. As a vegan, it is therefore really important to take vitamin B12.
The third cause of anemia is long-term illness. Often it is then not a case of a lack of iron in the body, but hemoglobin cannot be produced properly. You often see this with rheumatism or cancer, but also with hereditary diseases such as sickle cell disease, a form of hereditary anemia,” says De Weijer.
Blood test
When you experience symptoms of anemia, you will probably see a doctor. De Weijer talks about that process: “When someone comes to the doctor with symptoms of anemia, we do blood tests. Then we look at the hemoglobin level and also specifically at the iron level. This way we can see whether there is actually an iron deficiency, or whether the hemoglobin is not produced properly. Then the most likely cause of the anemia is looked at. Then a distinction is made according to gender and age. Depending on this, we may carry out follow-up tests, such as stomach and/or bowel tests, if someone is older than fifty.
Suppose nothing serious emerges from the investigations, you can do a number of things from a medical point of view. For example, women who menstruate heavily can go on the pill. When women no longer wish to have children, part of the endometrium can be removed. Anemia can also be remedied by eating foods that contain a lot of iron. Think of red meat, legumes, vegetables, nuts, bread, fish, and dried fruit. When you eat products that contain vitamin C, the intestines absorb the iron well.
Supplements
Thus, the treatment of anemia depends on the cause. When it comes to a deficiency of vitamin B12, someone must of course take vitamin B12. The same goes for folic acid. Sometimes iron tablets may also be prescribed. In the worst case, a blood transfusion can take place,” says De Weijer.
Anemia can therefore be prevented or remedied with supplements. But it is not the intention that you just swallow it. De Weijer: “Supplements are often a good solution for anemia, but only if they are prescribed by the GP. It is not the intention to take supplements inappropriately. Then you have no idea what you are taking.”
Nutrition Center
According to spokesperson for the Nutrition Center Lolkje de Vries, chances are that someone has an iron deficiency. She says the following about this: “With a healthy and varied diet according to the Wheel of Five, most people get enough iron. You can find iron in animal and vegetable products. The body itself ensures that more iron is extracted from food if there is a threat of a shortage. A varied diet provides enough iron for most people. The advice is therefore not to take supplements.
If you do, don’t take more than the recommended daily amount, which is stated on the label. It is not advisable to take iron pills with more iron, unless your doctor or midwife advises this. If you suspect you have an iron deficiency, we recommend that you discuss this with your doctor. She or he can advise you what you can do best in your situation to remedy any iron deficiency.”
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