Introduction
Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is the most widespread blood disease that affects people of all ages and social statuses. However, the most susceptible to it are pregnant women, children, and older people (Cappellini et al., 2020). Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by a low iron level in the blood and reduced red blood cells. Though IDA negatively affects productivity and physical and mental health, its influence on people’s lives is usually underestimated. That is why it is necessary to pay special attention to its symptoms and health outcomes to prevent severe health damage. The present essay concerns clinical manifestations of iron deficiency anemia and its natural history.
Clinical Manifestations
The main danger IDA leads concerns the fact that its clinical manifestations are very often unnoticeable. Hence, it may be identified only with the help of a wide range of blood tests (Cappellini et al., 2020). However, in some cases, especially with children, it is possible to detect changes in their physical and mental state. Besides, it becomes possible to detect signs of iron deficiency anemia when hemoglobin extensively lowers. Hence, it is necessary to pay attention even to the slightest physical or mental state changes and consult a doctor if they seem alarming.
Clinical manifestations of iron deficiency anemia are divided into two syndromes – sideropenic and anemic (Cappellini et al., 2020). Sideropenic syndrome is caused by the reduced iron level in body tissues, especially in skin and hair cells. It is characterized by alopecia, pale and rough skin, nail abnormalities, and oral glossitis. Subfebrile temperature may also be a sign of sideropenic syndrome. Occasionally, it may be the only symptom of iron deficiency anemia and disappear after medical treatment. Anemic syndrome is caused by reduced red blood cells, which prevent body tissues and cells from getting enough oxygen for regular functioning. It is hard to distinguish the manifestations of the anemic syndrome. Still, they may prove helpful in making a diagnosis as, occasionally, iron deficiency anemia may be a sign of more severe diseases such as cancer or cognitive heart failure. Symptoms of anemic syndrome concern headaches, fatigue, insomnia, poor physical performance, low blood pressure, tachycardia, and different types of arrhythmia (Cappellini et al., 2020). However, people often do not relate these symptoms to iron deficiency, relating them to the outcomes of overworking or physical or emotional strain.
The symptoms of IDA mentioned above are common for all people despite their age, gender or culture. However, there exist several genders or age-related symptoms of anemia, typical only of children, women, or older people (Cappellini et al., 2020). The most common symptoms for children are pale and dry skin, dry hair, low blood pressure, fatigue, and arrhythmia. When it comes to elderly adults, IDA manifestations may include those listed above and heavy and long-lasting menstrual bleeding for women, problems with digestive systems that may result in ulcers or gastritis, and exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Reducing iron levels and hemoglobin in blood is a prolonged process, and many organs and body tissues adapt to lower oxygen delivery (Cappellini et al., 2020). While it happens, patients feel worse, but due to the slowness of the process, they do not pay much attention to it and postpone their visit to the hospital. That is why in many cases, patients face severe forms of IDA when they finally consult a doctor.
Natural History
If not adequately treated, iron deficiency anemia may lead to severe consequences. They usually vary due to patients’ age and gender. Hence, women suffering from heavy menstrual bleeding are likely to have IDA due to regular blood loss. Apart from that, they may face anemia during pregnancy or even enter it having anemia (Cappellini et al., 2020). In that case, pregnant women may also face more challenging labor and the risk of preterm delivery. Iron deficiency anemia also increases the risks of mother’s and newborn’s deaths. However, IDA influences not only the mother but the newborn as well. Hence, a baby has all the chances to inherit the disease from his mother. Doctors also note that newborns who suffer from IDA lack weight, have long-lasting jaundice, and get zymotic diseases. From a 5-10 year perspective, children with iron deficiency anemia are likely to have severe immune-system deviations and slower motor and cognitive development.
Long-lasting oxygen starvation (hypoxia), which is the outcome of IDA, causes metabolic disorders, preservation of toxins in body cells and tissues, and, as a result, increasing cardio and respiratory load (Cappellini et al., 2020). Chronic hypoxia causes sclerosis in organs and body tissues when healthy organ-specific tissue is replaced with connective tissue. As a result, organs slowly lose their function, and people suffer from cardiosclerosis with signs of heart failure, arrhythmia or tachycardia, decreased heart contraction, and respiratory failure (Cappellini et al., 2020). Hence, people unconsciously gain chronic diseases, lose concentration, and become emotionally unstable and depressed, and their immunity suffers as well. Apart from that, any chronic disease combined with iron deficiency anemia exacerbates and deteriorates, especially for older people. Hence, it takes months for people with IDA to recover even from usual tonsillitis.
Conclusion
To summarize, iron deficiency anemia is a very insidious disease. It may either have no symptoms or have the slightest ones that people usually relate to physical or emotional strain. In most cases, IDA may be identified only with the help of professional doctors who conduct a blood test to establish the level of iron in it. Although anemia may not seem like a severe disease, the consequences of its improper or late treatment, such as heart or respiratory failure, are tremendously dangerous. They may cost a lot of time, effort, and medicine to restore.
Reference
Cappellini, M. D., Musallam, K. M. & Taher, A. T. (2020). Iron deficiency anemia revisited. Journal of International Medicine, 287(2), pp. 153-170.