Anemia is a condition in which your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues. Your red blood cells contain hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein that enables the red blood cells to carry the oxygen. To produce hemoglobin and red blood cells, your body needs iron, minerals, protein and vitamins.
Most people with anemia feel exhausted all the time. There are many forms of anemia (over 400), with different underlying causes. Anemia can’t be treated until its underlying cause has been established, as the treatment for one type may not be appropriate for another. Treatment can vary from taking vitamin or iron supplements to surgery or blood transfusions.
Anemia is common in both men and women, but women of child-bearing age are at a higher risk of developing anemia because of the loss of blood during menstruation. And pregnant women need to consume double the amount of iron as non-pregnant women, about 30 mg per day, in order to consume enough iron for themselves and their growing baby. Anemia affects about 400 million women worldwide.
This article will provide you with a guide to the signs and symptoms of anemia in women. It does not constitute or replace medical advice. If you think you have anemia and have not seen a doctor, please do so, as anemia can be a symptom of a serious illness.
Symptoms of anemia in women can include:
• Fatigue – women tend to write this symptom off to every day stress.
• Pale skin – if your face, the inside of your mouth or the lining of your eyes seems pale, let your doctor know.
• A fast or irregular heartbeat or rapid breathing. Call your doctor about these symptoms immediately.
• Low blood pressure – if you feel faint or dizzy when you go from sitting to standing, you may have low blood pressure. Get this checked!
• Shortness of breath. If you find you are out of breath after simple tasks like climbing one flight of stairs, this can be a symptom of anemia.
• Chest pain, heart palpitations. Again, call your doctor immediately. This could be anemia or something even more serious.
• Jaundice – this is a yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, caused by your liver being overwhelmed by the breakdown of red blood cells in your body.
• Numbness in your hands and feet, or coldness in your hands and feet. Both of these symptoms can be signs of anemia.
• Dizziness and confusion, cognitive problems. Again, women tend to shrug this off as stress, but this can be a serious symptom.
• Personality changes. If friends or co-workers note you are unusually moody, angry, sad, etc., take note of this.
• Headache – a headache can also be a symptom of anemia.
• Brittle nails – if your nails are breaking or snapping more than usual, this can be a sign of anemia.
I hope you found this information helpful. Women tend to ignore a lot of these symptoms because they chalk them up to stress and every day living, but if you should be checked for anemia if you have concerns. As I noted above, anemia can be a symptom of other, more serious conditions, so don’t let this go!
Source List:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anemia/DS0032
http://www.livestrong.com/article/18486-signs-anemia-women
