1 out of 3 people suffer from iron deficiency.

According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency is among the most widespread nutritional deficiencies in the world. It is most common among women aged 25 to 35 and in children up to 5 years of age but is often undiagnosed. Why is it important to find it in time? . Symptoms of iron deficiency and iron level testing in the body Mental fatigue, irritability, dizziness, rapid loss of concentration are the first signs that can be noticed in case of lack of iron. It follows the sensation of physical exhaustion, pallor, hair loss, loose nails and mouth ulceration. If you or someone in your family has such symptoms, the best solution is to test your body's iron level as quickly as possible.

Iron deficiency may become more and more, and if the lack is untreated, the symptoms will evolve to severe forms of anemia. Iron deficiency can also be a sign of a hidden condition. The lack of iron can be kept under control, but early diagnosis is essential. Doctor Oana Inta, a cardiologist at the Cardiovascular Disease Foundation, tells us why. CSD: Why is iron important to the body? .

Oana Inta: Iron is one of the essential minerals of the body and is found to account for over 60% of the blood hemoglobin. It is involved in many metabolic processes, such as oxygen transport, DNA synthesis and energy production, helps maintain a functional immune system and helps the body fight infections. CSD: What are the causes of iron deficiency? . Oana Inta: Causes of iron deficiency are multiple. There may be, say, physiological causes that determine it, such as increased iron needs during growth, in children, but also during pregnancy or breastfeeding, as well as during periods of increased physical or mental stress or bleeding .

But lack of iron can also cause pathological causes, either through loss (genital or digestive bleeding), or due to insufficient iron intake, inadequate diet, or if there is adequate diet - an inability to absorb the iron as it should, . Inflammatory cortical diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or heart failure are associated with iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia. CSD: Are there any risk factors for iron deficiency? . Oana Inta: The most common iron deficiency occurs in young people, young women and children, because they have a higher need for iron. Iron loss often goes unnoticed because the symptoms are unspecific and blame for their appearance on other things.

Visually physical tiredness, lack of exercise tolerance, but also mental fatigue, lack of ability to concentrate at work, inability to carry out certain tasks. In addition, headaches, dizziness and dizziness may appear in the more severe forms of pale skin (yellowing of the skin), mouth injuries, nail changes or hair loss. CSD: How do we deal with iron deficiency? . Oana Inta: Iron deficiency can be treated, both by a diet adjustment, by adding iron-rich foods and by adding substances such as vitamin C, which facilitate the absorption of iron, but also by treatment as such. The treatment is iron substitution, either in oral form, in mild forms or as an injectable treatment, in which case the pathology is quite important.

Once iron deficiency has been identified or, moreover, when anemia has been identified, determine what its cause is, because, as I said, it has a continuous evolution, and even if we cover the deficit, if there is a cause that is associated . CSD: What analyzes would be made when an iron deficiency is discovered? . Oana Inţă: To find the cause, the young woman can do a gynecological consultation to see if there is a pathology of this nature. A gastroenterological consultation can be done to avoid digestive loss or inflammatory bowel disease associated with a lack of iron absorption. Associated with other blood tests and an anamnesis, the doctoral doctor will decide what to do if it is going to endoscopy, colonoscopy or some analyzes, including antibodies or specific dosages, such as those for inflammatory diseases.

Anemia may also be linked to celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease etc. Generally, chronic inflammatory disease is associated with anemia, because iron is blocked in the cells and can no longer be used by the body. If you are in Bucharest on June 17, you can test your iron level at Mega Mall free of charge from 12:00 to 18:00 and you can learn more about the symptoms, causes and consequences of iron deficiency. According to a market study conducted for Vifor Pharma, on a representative sample at national level, 12% of study participants have never tested their body iron levels and 27% have not tested their iron level . The remaining 66% of respondents have recently tested their iron levels, and 19% of them had iron deficiency, while 22% were diagnosed with anemia.

The average age of study participants was 35 years. .