I have anemia caused by a B-12 dificiency. Before I started taking pills, or if I don't take them for a while, I got tired extremely quickly, I didn't breathe well when I exercized, my heart beat was usually fast from simple things like walking up the stairs, and I had lots of trouble sleeping. The inside of my eyelids are whitish, and I always got this pins and needles feeling in my feet. My arms were kind of stiff. Hope this helps!
AS a Medical Laboratory Technologist, I can tell you the BEST way to know if you are anemic is to have blood drawn at a reputable medical laboratory and have them run a Hemoglobin and Hematocrit test. Hemoglobin, or Hgb, accounts for about 98% of your red blood cells. The normal hemoglobin for an adult female is 12.0-16.0gdl. When your doctor reports the findings of your "iron" test, this is the numbers he will use. If your Iron is below 12.0gdl then you are anemic.Your red blood cells are comprised of 4 heme groups: Which is the iron, and 4 globin groups: Which are protein chains. The primary function of your red blood cells is to carry oxygen to your tissues, and waste products such as carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be expelled from the body. The hematocrit is the actual gauge for iron and should be 36-48% for an adult female. If you just want to know your IRON level then this is all you need, but it's important to know the source of the anemia. If you have more than 5 of the symptoms that charming mentioned then have it checked, take an iron supplement, and eat iron rich foods. DO NOT take an iron supplement until you know for sure you are anemic. There are many types of anemia that have nothing to do with iron deficiency, and If you're NOT iron deficient, then taking an iron supplement can cause you to have too much iron in your blood.
Symptoms tachycardia palpitation shortness of breath lack of appetite weakness fatigue fainting or dizziness headache inability to concert rate inflammation of mouth or tongue insomnia dry, brittle or ridged nails soreness in the mouth perspiration around the head and neck swelling of hands and feet constant thirst ringing of ears unexplained bleeding or bruising Angie pectorals
Most people that are anemic are always tired and they look very pale. Their gums can be light colored instead of red and when you pull down the bottom of the eye, it also is a pale color instead of red.
I'm anemic and have to take iron pills. Before, I was dizzy when I stood up too soon, I would feel tired a lot, and sometimes I would get white from not eating and feel sick to my stomach. I had to take those pills when I was pregnant or it would kill my baby.
The symptoms of anemia vary according to the type of anemia, the underlying cause, and any underlying health problems. Anemia may be associated with other medical conditions such as hemorrhage, ulcers, menstrual problems.
Ashley Bennet , 5 years as a certified nutritionist at American Society for Nutrition, answered
There are some symptoms of anemia. They can be:
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
Basically, anemia happens when the body system is not provided enough healthy red blood cells to help transfer oxygen to nurture other body parts. This phenomenon has a variety of causes and ranges from temporary issue to a long-term one, even from mild to serious.
