What can happen if iron deficiency anemia is left untreated?!


Question: i think this is what is wrong with me , i havnt been to a dr. yet but i have read all about the symptoms and cant seem to find out what happens if its untreated , i started taking iron supplements but they made me extremely sick so i cant take them any more


Answers: i think this is what is wrong with me , i havnt been to a dr. yet but i have read all about the symptoms and cant seem to find out what happens if its untreated , i started taking iron supplements but they made me extremely sick so i cant take them any more

Some iron supplements are easier on the stomach than others, so don't despair! There are some slow-release ones that are supposed to be better, and also, you might want to try a different iron salt (eg, if you've been taking iron II sulfate, try ferrous gluconate) and/or taking your supplement on a full stomach instead of an empty stomach. Then there's always the option of just eating food that's high in iron.

The major problem with iron deficiency anemia is that your blood won't carry oxygen as well as it would otherwise, because you're short of hemoglobin. It can make you tired and short of breath.

When I had it, I got to the place where I had to stop halfway up a flight of stairs and catch my breath because I felt dizzy and out of breath. On my breaks at work, I would lie on the floor because I didn't feel like I had the energy to do anything else. I also had the pica thing going on: I had a weird urge to eat road salt and didn't know why.

Edited to add: agreed with what other people are pointing out - it could be something else, so do see the doctor.

Since you cannot do any laboratory tests on yourself you should see a doctor. The symptoms listed are common to a number of conditions.

If you have guessed correctly, it is still necessary to find the cause and correct that.

Your spleen can become enlarged, breathing difficulties, you can pass out it's not good to leave it untreated it can become life threatening.

Pallor, fatigue and weakness as well as hair loss, lightheadedness, depression and palpitations can occur if the condition is untreated according to Wikipedia.

Unfortunately, iron supplements do have some side effects for some people but the benefits mostly outweigh the discomfort/inconvenience.

Please don't self-diagnose. You should see a doctor and have tests run to make sure that the underlying condition is correctly diagnosed. The cause of the anemia (if that is indeed what it is) could be easily fixable or could be serious requiring an intelligent long term treatment plan-- why suffer needlessly?

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_defici...

Taking Iron supplements is not the answer to anemia..
A supplement is just that - a supplement. You need to change your diet to include dark greens (salads without Iceberg lettuce), eat lots of beans, soy beans are the best. Make up soup with them or you can try tofu if you like it. I myself suffered severe anemia to the point that I was in the hospital with IV's to improve my blood, which included a blood transfusion. If you're a vegetarian-get over it. You need as much red meat as you can get. Shrimp are remarkable little critters that have an average of 32 grams of protein each. Get a lot of protein going and the iron will follow. They are most definitely connected. Even if you find a good protein shake or bar that helps too, but read the label and don't exceed 15 grams of sugar per serving. Anemia can be a real bummer 'cause you're tired all the time and you bruise easily and it just gets to ba a circle. See your doctor and do some reading on line.





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