What are the symptoms of iron anemia?

There are several symptoms that may occur in all types of anemia. They are:

• Feeling tired
• Paleness
• Difficulty breathing
• Fast heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Feeling cold (including the sensation that your hands and feet are colder than usual)
• Infections (caused by problems with the immune system).

Who is most likely to develop iron deficiency anemia?

• Women who have heavy menstrual periods
• Pregnancy because the need for iron intake greatly increases
• Recent GI bleeding such as from ulcers and other GI diseases like Irritable Bowel and Crohn’s Disease
• Those who eat a poor diet with low iron or having trouble absorbing iron like gastric by-pass patients
• Patients  on blood thinners such as aspirin, Plavix®, Coumadin®, or heparin
• Patient taking medications that interfere with the ability of the body to absorb iron
• Blood loss from surgery
• Those who can’t take iron by mouth due to side effects

Iron infusion vs. iron injection

Iron infusions involve delivering a dose of iron through the vein with an IV drip. Iron injections involve injecting iron into a muscle with a needle. The injection is usually done into the buttocks. Iron infusions may take up to several hours, whereas iron injections deliver a whole dose immediately.

Iron infusions tend to be less painful than iron injections. Injections can also cause intramuscular bleeding and orange discoloration. Because of these possible complications, doctors often favor iron infusions over iron injections as a treatment for iron deficiency anemia.

Iron infusion treatment