november 2017
Introduction to
anaemia
Greenstone health | 15
Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when the body doesn’t have enough iron, leading to the
decreased production of red blood cells, the blood cells which carry oxygen around your
body.
S
ymptoms include, but not limited, pallor (pale
skin), fatigue, chest pain, poor concentration,
shortness of breath, tachycardia with
systolic murmur (fast irregular heartbeat),
cracks in the sides of the mouth, brittle
nails, headaches, dizziness and cold hands
or feet. Other specific clinical features are
koilonychias, angular stomatitis, glossitis, neuropathy,
dementia, paraplegia, jaundice, leg ulcers and bone
deformities to mention but a few…
Interesting facts: It is estimated that 9% of women
between the ages of 12 and 49, 10% of people over the
age of 65 and 14% of children under the age of 2 have
anaemia.
A lack of iron can be caused by several factors:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs: Like Ibuprofen &
Aspirin) can cause bleeding in the stomach.
Monthly periods: In women of reproductive age,
periods are the most common cause of iron deficiency
anaemia. Usually, only