Health experts say ‘harmless’ symptoms could be signs of blood disease

Iron deficiency anemia risks and treatments

Iron deficiency anemia affects 1.6 billion people worldwide, but it's not widely known. It's an illness that doesn't discriminate, and includes symptoms that seem harmless, but could have a deeper meaning.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. - There is one health condition that affects 1.6 billion people worldwide, but it’s not widely known. That condition is Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), according to the World Health Organization, and it’s an illness that does not discriminate.

Iron plays a critical role in human health. It’s a component of hemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. When the body does not have an adequate amount of oxygen, people don’t feel their best.

"It’s important to feed our cells and feed our organs with that oxygen so that it can fully do its job," said Aster Kahsai, a medical science liaison with American Regent.

Kahsai, who is also a pharmacist, said some symptoms of IDA may seem harmless, but could have deeper meaning.

"A lot of people feel tired, exhausted, fatigued," said Kahsai. "Skin being pale, feeling tired, nails being brittle, struggling to get up to do your day-to-day tasks. An uncommon one is something called Pica, which tends to have people chewing on ice or chewing on dirt, and this is a very uncommon one, but classic signs."

Kahsai explained that blood loss is a common path to IDA. She said women are most at risk to the condition. One reason is due to blood loss during menstrual cycles, or menopause, and also when the body demands more iron, like during a pregnancy.

Kahsai said people with restricted diets who aren’t eating foods that are high in iron are also at risk. This includes vegans, vegetarians, or those with an intolerance to gluten.

"Another big one is chronic conditions. Chronic conditions like chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, having celiac disease, Crohn’s disease. These are just a few that I’ve mentioned, but any chronic inflammatory condition can put you at risk for this condition," said Kahsai.

Why you should care:

The pharmacist suggested that anyone experiencing the symptoms or having those chronic conditions should ask their primary care physician to test their blood for IDA. 

"It’s just a simple doctor’s appointment," said Kahsai. "From a diagnostic perspective, it is one blood draw and you’re looking at three labs (hemoglobin, ferritin), and this will allow your provider to be able to diagnose you and get you in the right step towards treatment."

Starting treatment can be as simple as changing your diet or taking an oral iron supplement.

"Oral iron is your first line of defense. It’s found over the counter, or you can get a prescription through your provider," said Kahsai.

For some people, however, Kahsai said oral iron can cause gastrointestinal side effects.

"Upset, stomach, constipation, nausea, vomiting. So, one of the barriers with oral iron is that tolerability for patients. So, an alternative option is IV iron," said Kahsai. "It’s 100 percent bio available. It goes directly into your bloodstream. So, you get that full dose immediately, and you start feeling better a lot quicker," said Kahsai.

Whether oral iron or IV iron is the option for people, Kahsai said the key is self-awareness. 

"If you’re struggling to get through your day or feeling low on energy, feeling fatigue, definitely make that appointment with your doctor’s office. Get those labs drawn and really just have those discussions with your provider," said Kahsai.

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