Iron deficiency Anemia

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Iron-Deficiency

Anemia?
he signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia depend on its severity. Mild to moderate irondeficiency anemia may have no signs or symptoms.
When signs and symptoms do occur, they can range from mild to severe. Many of the signs and
symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia apply to all types of anemia.

Signs and Symptoms of Anemia

The most common symptom of all types of anemia is fatigue (tiredness). Fatigue occurs because your
body doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its many parts.
Also, the red blood cells your body makes have less hemoglobin than normal. Hemoglobin is an ironrich protein in red blood cells. It helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the
body.
Anemia also can cause shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, coldness in your hands and feet, pale
skin, chest pain, weakness, and fatigue (tiredness).
If you don't have enough hemoglobin-carrying red blood cells, your heart has to work harder to move
oxygen-rich blood through your body. This can lead to irregular heartbeats calledarrhythmias (ahRITH-me-ahs), a heart murmur, an enlarged heart, or even heart failure.
In infants and young children, signs of anemia include poor appetite, slowed growth and development,
and behavioral problems.

Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency may include brittle nails, swelling or soreness of the tongue,
cracks in the sides of the mouth, an enlarged spleen, and frequent infections.
People who have iron-deficiency anemia may have an unusual craving for nonfood items, such as ice,
dirt, paint, or starch. This craving is called pica (PI-ka or PE-ka).
Some people who have iron-deficiency anemia develop restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder
that causes a strong urge to move the legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and
unpleasant feelings in the legs. People who have RLS often have a hard time sleeping.
Iron-deficiency anemia can put children at greater risk for lead poisoning and infections.

Some signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia are related to the condition's causes. For
example, a sign of intestinal bleeding is bright red blood in the stools or black, tarry-looking stools.
Very heavy menstrual bleeding, long periods, or other vaginal bleeding may suggest that a woman is
at risk for iron-deficiency anemia.

What are the symptoms of iron-deficiency

anaemia (IDA)?

Common symptoms are due to the reduced amount of oxygen in the body. These include
tiredness, lethargy, feeling faint and becoming breathless easily.

Less common symptoms include headaches, irregular heartbeats (palpitations), altered

taste, sore mouth and ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

You may look pale.

Other symptoms may develop, depending on the underlying cause of the anaemia (see
below).

Fainting, also called syncope, happens when a person suddenly loses consciousness and then rapidly
returns to normal.

Signs and symptoms of fainting

Right before fainting, your child might:

feel dizzy or light headed

feel weak
see dark spots
hear muffled sounds
feel nauseous (want to vomit)
feel hot
feel cold and clammy
become pale
start to sweat.

Causes of fainting
A child can faint for a number of possible reasons. The most common cause of fainting is a temporary
drop in blood pressure. Fainting because of low blood pressure is often called a vagal or vasovagal
episode.
A child is more likely to have a drop in blood pressure if they:

are dehydrated (from excessive sweating, diarrhea or vomiting)

have not been eating
have been standing still for a long time
are unwell.

Other common causes of fainting

A child might also faint if they

are frightened
are in severe pain
stand up too fast
are having a breath-holding spell.
Fainting may be more likely in a closed setting or one that is hot and humid. It may also happen in
response to a stimulus that is noxious (unpleasant or potentially harmful), such as a very bad smell or
the sight of blood or a needle.

More serious medical causes of fainting

Fainting can sometimes have more serious causes. These include:

an underlying heart condition or heart rhythm disturbance

exposure to a medication, toxin or drug
hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
anemia (low levels of iron in the blood)
pregnancy
anaphylaxis (allergic reaction).
Fainting during exercise or exertion (carrying or pushing something heavy) can be a sign of an
underlying condition and should be discussed with your childs doctor.

Conditions that appear similar to fainting

There are some conditions that make it appear that a child is fainting when, in fact, something else is
wrong. These mimics of fainting include:

seizures
migraine headaches
hyperventilation
panic attacks.

How to help your child if they have fainted

Check to make sure your child is breathing. If necessary, call 911.

Keep your child lying down or, if possible, sit them forward with their head between their
knees.
Loosen any tight clothing around your childs neck.
Make an appointment with your childs doctor and explain exactly what happened.

When to see a doctor

See your childs doctor to identify the cause of a fainting episode.
Call 911 right away if your child:

has stopped breathing

does not become alert right away
has changes in their speech, vision or ability to move.

Key points

Fainting is a sudden and temporary loss of consciousness with a rapid return to normal.
Your child may feel dizzy, nauseous, hot or cold right before they faint. Their face may also go
pale.

The most common cause of fainting is a drop in blood pressure. Other, more serious, causes
include an underlying heart condition, low blood sugar or anemia.
See your childs doctor to discuss the possible cause of any fainting episode. Call 911 right
away if your child has stopped breathing or does not come around shortly after fainting.

What are breath-holding spells?

A breath-holding spell happens when a child stops breathing for a short time, from a few seconds to a
couple of minutes. The spells can occur often in a single day or only now and then.
Children who experience breath-holding will usually have their first spell before they turn 18 months,
although spells can sometimes start from as early as six months. The spells happen most often when
a child is around two years of age and normally end when the child turns five or six.
It might seem that a child is holding their breath on purpose, but they actually cannot control this
behaviour.
As a parent, you might find breath-holding scary to watch, but the spells are fairly harmless and
usually do not do any long-term damage. The child having a breath-holding spell regains their normal
colour, level of awareness and breathing pattern within minutes.

How can I tell when my child is having a breath-holding spell

Breath-holding spells usually happen after a child is suddenly startled or upset. They may occur with a
moment of extreme crying.
Common steps in a breath-holding spell

1.

A brief, shrill cry

2.

Forced breathing out, followed by stopped breathing (apnea) and turning red

3.

Blue, purple or pale skin (also known as cyanosis)

4.

Fainting or loss of consciousness

5.

Jerky movements (short, "seizure-like" movements), only in extreme cases

Jerky movements during a breath-holding spell do not usually indicate a true seizure and do not cause
any long-term harm. Children who shake with a breath-holding spell do not appear more likely to get
a seizure-related disorder.

Types of breath-holding spells

Breath-holding spells fall into two categories:

cyanotic
pallid.
Cyanotic breath-holding
Cyanotic breath-holding is the most common type of spell. It is usually triggered when a child cries
after feeling angry, frustrated or frightened. Because the child stops breathing, their bodies receive
less oxygen. This can lead to changes in the childs heart rate.
Pallid breath-holding
Pallid breath-holding, which is less common, is triggered after a child experiences pain, for example
after falling or hitting their head. This can lead to changes to the childs nervous system, which causes
the symptoms such as forced breathing or jerky movements.
It is common for your child to have a breath-holding spell with a temper tantrum. If your child has
mild breath-holding spells and does not become faint, it is best to ignore the spell as you would ignore
a temper tantrum, while making sure the child is safe.

How to help your child during a breath-holding spell

Make sure your child is in a safe place where they will not fall or be hurt.
After the spell, try to be calm. Avoid giving too much attention to the child, as this can
reinforce the behaviours that led to the event.
Discuss the event with your child's doctor. Your child may need a medical exam to make sure
that they do not have any other health problems that could be related to the breath-holding spell,
such as iron-deficiency anemia or an irregular heartbeat.

When to call 911

Call an ambulance if your child:

stops breathing or loses consciousness

has trouble breathing
has jerky movements or a seizure for more than one minute.

Key points

Breath-holding spells can start by 18 months and occur until age five or six. A child cannot
control their breath-holding spells.
Breath-holding episodes usually last from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. They most
commonly occur when a child is suddenly frightened or upset, but they can also happen in response
to pain.
Common signs of a breath-holding spell include crying or gasping, followed by no breathing,
pale or blue skin and fainting.
Although breath-holding might look scary, the spells are fairly harmless and do not cause longterm damage. Children with breath-holding spells usually do not have an underlying illness.
After a spell, it is best to treat your child like other children to avoid reinforcing the behaviour.
Call 911 if your child has stopped breathing or has a seizure for more than one minute.

Initially, iron deficiency anemia can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. But as the body
becomes more deficient in iron and anemia worsens, the signs and symptoms intensify.
Iron deficiency anemia symptoms may include:

Extreme fatigue

Pale skin

Weakness

Shortness of breath

Chest pain

Frequent infections

Headache

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Cold hands and feet

Inflammation or soreness of your tongue

Brittle nails

Fast heartbeat

Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or starch

Poor appetite, especially in infants and children with iron deficiency anemia
An uncomfortable tingling or crawling feeling in your legs (restless legs
syndrome)

When to see a doctor

If you or your child develops signs and symptoms that suggest iron deficiency anemia,
see your doctor. Iron deficiency anemia isn't something to self-diagnose or treat. So see
your doctor for a diagnosis rather than taking iron supplements on your own.
Overloading the body with iron can be dangerous because excess iron accumulation
can damage your liver and cause other complications.