Exhausted? Your iron might be low

In this crazy world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, exhausted and like it’s all too much – don’t ignore the feeling, as it might be down to more than just a busy life. 

Low iron stores and anaemia are a growing health crisis affecting entire generations of young women, yet it remains largely unaddressed. This, while women around the world are trying to stay ahead of the juggle struggle – determined to live their best lives while succeeding at work, building and maintaining healthy relationships and friendships, raising children and keeping an eye on their ageing parents. It’s a lot! And if your iron stores are depleted, it will feel like too much. 

What to look out for

While common medical symptoms of anaemia include: 

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Pale skin
• Hair loss 
• Difficulty concentrating
• Heart palpitations
• Heavy menstrual bleeding – which may affect up to 50% of women 

Furthermore, health experts are increasingly concerned about the other symptoms that young women have been taught to normalise, such as: 

• Anxiety that seems to come from nowhere
• Persistent depression 
• Insomnia 
• Overwhelming exhaustion
• Brain fog

Do you fall in one of the high risk categories? 

1. Working women: Irregular eating patterns and stress can lead to poor iron intake. Hustle culture, the 9-5 and entrepreneurship can be tiring of course, but for the most part should feel exhilarating – when it feels like it’s physically destructive, there could be something else like low iron stores or anaemia at play. There is a direct correlation between low iron stores and cognitive function, and women in their prime working years deserve to feel vital.
2. Vegans and vegetarians: Plant-based iron is less easily absorbed than iron from animal sources, putting vegan and vegetarian women at higher risk without proper dietary management. While good nutrition can help maintain healthy iron levels, it is almost impossible to rectify low iron stores through diet alone. 
3. Athletes: Intense physical activity increases iron needs, and female athletes often have higher rates of iron deficiency. More women than ever are focused on physical fitness, but this can also place extra pressure on iron stores if nutrition is sub-par. 

If you think you might have low iron stores, speak to your doctor and ask them to perform a simple test to check your iron levels. Don’t let anyone, even your doctor, dismiss your symptoms as ‘just being a woman’. Instead, get a second opinion.

The Cape Town Infusion Centre is committed to managing iron deficiency and anaemia, to empowering patients, and to improving lives. Please contact them if you would like any further information.

For more on health, visit Get It Magazine.