EXHAUSTED? IRRITABLE? TIRED ALL THE TIME? FOR MANY WOMEN, LOW IRON (AND NOT ANEMIA) MAY BE WHY.

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     While regular medicine doesn’t routinely screen women for low iron – technically iron deficiency – our practice does.  Our patients have told us that their regular doctors sometimes test for anemia, but not iron deficiency.  However, one can have low iron without being anemic, which is the final manifestation of insufficiency, when the body has too few healthy red blood cells. 
 
     As opposed to anemia, iron deficiency happens when the body's need for iron exceeds its absorption.  Research shows that about a third of American women don’t have enough iron to support important functions in the body, including blood production, muscle function, the immune system, and hormone production.  (No wonder these women are tired and irritable.) 
 
     Iron deficiency can happen due to pregnancy, menstruation, gut disorders, intense exercise, or a diet that doesn’t provide enough iron.  Being told to get more sleep is typical, but that won’t help restore iron to its proper level in the body.
 
     The way to get sufficient iron, as long as there are no gut disorders, is through food.  Good sources include shellfish, spinach, beans, red meat, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, turkey, broccoli, tofu, and fish.  There are also iron supplements. 
 
     Our doctors strongly advise women who are exhausted, irritable, and tired all the time to get their iron levels checked, as there could be other causes.  If it does turn out to be iron deficiency, it’s important to work with your doctor, because too much iron can lead to heart flutter, constipation, tarry stools, even liver damage.