Iron Deficiency in Women is Very Common and can be Very Debilitating

Indian women are identified by early and repeated pregnancies which becomes a major cause of anaemia in them. The nutritional requirements are increased during pregnancy which is not duly satisfied. Though there is a government policy of giving free iron supplements during pregnancy, most ladies do not consume them. Again heavy bleeding during menstruation causes anaemia in Indian women. 

Dr Rajashree Sharma,

Obstetrcian &Gynaecologist….her picture is there …check the earlier issues

"Maam! My daughter does not pay attention to her studies. She is always sleepy and has difficulty in remembering her syllabus." I observed Pinky as the apprehensive mom went on to explain her daughter's symptoms. "She has also lost her hair and the ponytail has reduced considerably." Meanwhile, Pinky stood beside her mom, lost in her own thoughts. I felt she wanted to say something, but was not given the opportunity. I looked at the shy girl and noticed that she looked very pale and underweight. I politely asked her mom to allow me to talk to Pinky. On inquiring I came to know that she was having heavy bleeding during her menstrual cycles and had to follow dietary restrictions during those days. All these conditions aggravated her anaemia along with a lack of deworming. I prescribed the necessary medications along with some investigations. I glanced at the departing mom and daughter as I recalled the countless Pinkys who have entered with the same symptoms of anaemia. I hoped atleast this time my advice is heeded through.

Anaemia (as described by a lack of haemoglobin in red blood cells or a decreased number of red cells in blood) affects nearly 51% of women of the reproductive age group according to a Global Nutrition Report of 2017. The most common cause affecting Indian females is Iron deficiency anaemia. Iron is a key component of haemoglobin which is necessary for carrying oxygen in blood. Iron deficiency results in low levels of haemoglobin and a myriad of symptoms which includes general fatigue, weakness, short breath, dizziness, cravings to eat non nutritional things like mud, chalk etc, tingling of legs, cold hands and feet, loss of hair, reduced concentration, palpitation, brittle nails and headaches.

Indian women are more prone to develop iron deficiency anaemia due to a variety of reasons such as:

Inadequate intake:

Eating too little iron particularly in vegetarians can cause a shortage of iron in the body. Iron is specifically found in food such as meat, eggs and some green leafy vegetables. However faulty technique of cooking such as cutting vegetables in water and even drinking too much of tea (which hampers iron absorption) contributes to iron deficiency. Particularly certain practices like restricting non vegetarian diet during menses makes women more vulnerable.

Pregnancy:

Indian women are identified by early and repeated pregnancies which becomes a major cause of anaemia in them. The nutritional requirements are increased during pregnancy which is not duly satisfied. Though there is a government policy of giving free iron supplements during pregnancy, most ladies do not consume them. Again heavy bleeding during menstruation causes anaemia in Indian women.

Piles and worm infestation:

Chronic blood loss due to piles or worm infestation is another important cause of anaemia. This is the reason that regular deworming becomes necessary to ensure good health.

Inability to absorb iron:

Certain disorders or surgeries may also affect iron absorption even in presence of adequate dietary intake. Celiac disease or intestinal surgeries like gastric bypass may limit absorption of iron from the gut.

Internal blood loss:

Some conditions such as peptic ulcer, colon cancer etc can cause bleeding in internal organs and lead to iron deficiency anaemia.

Most of the time iron deficiency anaemia is mild however sometimes it may progress on to severe disease that may result in a number of complications such as delayed growth and development in children, pregnancy related complications such as premature labour, post partum haemorrhage, heart failure and weakened immunity. Therefore it is necessary to seek medical help whenever a person feels the early symptoms.

Severe cases do require active medical intervention, however mild to moderate needs oral iron supplementation after doctors consultation.

Pregnant ladies should have their antenatal medications properly and sincerely. Menstrual issues should be tackled without any social obligations.

Regular deworming and effective diet helps a lot in tackling anaemia. Food rich in iron should be regularly included in diet. Some of the easily available sources are meat and poultry, green leafy vegetables, dried fruits such as raisins, dates and apricots and fruits such as pomegranate, strawberry etc. Simple modifications like washing vegetables before cutting, including jaggery rather than sugar, having citrus fruits that help in iron absorption, limiting the intake of tea etc can give good results in increasing body iron levels.

Also Read: Before Saying NO to your child…Stop and Think

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