This can cause:. Learn about iron deficiency in children. Since iron supplements are available without prescription, it can be tempting to self-diagnose, but this is not recommended because:. Iron overdose happens when you take too much iron in the form of supplements.
Iron is toxic in large amounts and can be fatal at high doses. If you suspect an iron overdose, call your doctor or the Victorian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 immediately or go to your local hospital emergency department.
Children are especially at risk because they may mistake the red iron tablets for lollies. Make an appointment with your doctor if you think you may be iron deficient. Diagnosis aims to exclude other illnesses that can have similar symptoms, such as coeliac disease. Diagnosis methods include:. Talk to your doctor about healthy eating and getting enough iron in your diet. Some suggestions include:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.
The size of a standard drink can vary according to the type of alcohol. A person with amyloidosis produces aggregates of insoluble protein that cannot be eliminated from the body. When a person is anaemic, the red blood cells have to work harder to get oxygen around the body. An aneurysm may have no symptoms until it is either very large or it ruptures. A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects males and females of all ages.
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The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Blood and blood vessels. Home Blood and blood vessels. Iron deficiency - adults. By talking with your doctor about your diet and medical history, your doctor may gain enough information to determine whether additional testing is needed.
In patients such as men, postmenopausal women, or younger women with severe anemia, the doctor may recommend additional testing. These tests may include the following:. Sometimes it is difficult to diagnose the cause of iron deficiency, or your doctor may be concerned that there is a problem other than iron deficiency causing the anemia. These may include inherited blood disorders called thalassemiasin which red blood cells also appear small and pale, hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease but not sickle cell trait alone , or other blood disorders.
People with chronic infections or conditions such as kidney failure, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory disorders may also have small red blood cells. When the cause of the anemia is not clear, your doctor may refer you to a hematologist, a medical specialist in blood disorders,for consultation and further evaluation.
Even if the cause of the iron deficiency can be identified and treated, it is still usually necessary to take medicinal iron more iron than a multivitamin can provide until the deficiency is corrected and the body's iron stores are replenished. In some cases, if the cause cannot be identified or corrected, the patient may have to receive supplemental iron on an ongoing basis. The amount of iron needed to treat patients with iron deficiency is higher than the amount found in most daily multivitamin supplements.
The amount of iron prescribed by your doctor will be in milligrams mg of elemental iron. Most people with iron deficiency need mg per day of elemental iron 2 to 5 mg of iron per kilogram of body weight per day.
Ask your doctor how many milligrams of iron you should be taking per day. If you take vitamins, bring them to your doctor's visit to be sure. There is no evidence that any one type of iron salt, liquid, or pill is better than the others, and the amount of elemental iron varies with different preparations.
To be sure of the amount of iron in a product, check the packaging. In addition to elemental iron, the iron salt content ferrous sulfate, fumarate, or gluconate may also be listed on the package, which can make it confusing for consumers to know how many tablets or how much liquid to take to get the proper dosage of iron. Iron is absorbed in the small intestine duodenum and first part of the jejunum.
This means that enteric-coated iron tablets may not work as well. If you take antacids, you should take iron tablets two hours before or four hours after the antacid. Vitamin C ascorbic acid improves iron absorption, and some doctors recommend that you take mg of vitamin C with iron tablets.
Possible side effects of iron tablets include abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and dark stools. In some cases your doctor may recommend intravenous IV iron.
IV iron may be necessary to treat iron deficiency in patients who do not absorb iron well in the gastrointestinal tract, patients with severe iron deficiency or chronic blood loss, patients who are receiving supplemental erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates blood production, or patients who cannot tolerate oral iron. If you need IV iron, your doctor may refer you to a hematologist to supervise the iron infusions.
Anemia or Iron Deficiency. Minus Related Pages. Data are for the U. Emergency department visits. Number of visits to emergency departments with anemia as the primary diagnosis: , Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: National Summary Tables, table 12 pdf icon. Number of deaths: 5, Deaths per , population: 1.
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