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June 13, 2004 |
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Fatigue & Low Energy Are You Anemic? An estimated 20 percent of all American women suffer from anemia. Anemia occurs when you don’t have enough red blood cells, or enough of the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells (hemoglobin). Thus, your cells don’t get enough oxygen, critical for turning food into energy. Without enough energy, critical processes, such as muscle activity and cell building and repair, slow down and become less efficient. Bottom line: you feel exhausted. But anemia carries with it a wide range of symptoms beyond fatigue, including: Dizziness General weakness Paleness Loss of appetite Brittle and ridged nails Diarrhea Abdominal pain Sour tongue Yellowish skin Loss of coordination Tingling in hands and feet Causes of Anemia The most common cause of anemia is iron deficiency. If you don’t get enough iron, either through diet or nutrients, your red blood cells don’t mature properly and remain small and pale. Other causes include: Menstruation The average woman loses about 6 mg of iron per day of bleeding during her period. As a result, women who are still having regular periods need twice as much iron as men. Menorrhagia If you experience unusually heavy periods, your need for iron increases even more. This is common particularly in the few years just before menopause. Age Elderly women are more likely to develop anemia because they tend to eat less, and less healthily, often because they live alone on fixed incomes. Pregnancy and lactation When you’re pregnant, the increased blood supply in your body requires increased iron. And when you’re nursing, you lose iron through your breast milk. That’s why physicians and midwives often recommend that nursing mothers continue to take a prenatal vitamin. Iron absorption problems Even if you’re consuming sufficient iron, it won’t do you much good if your body can’t absorb it. Certain nutrients, including B-complex vitamins and vitamins A and C, as well as the minerals copper and zinc, are essential for iron absorption. Vitamin B12 is particularly important, and vegans who don’t supplement with this vitamin may become iron-deficient. If you have chronic diarrhea, use laxatives, or have a malabsorption disease such as celiac sprue, you may also not be absorbing the iron you take in through food or nutrients. Genetics Certain ethnic groups are more prone to certain types of anemia. For instance, African Americans are more likely to have sickle-cell anemia, in which the red blood cells are sickled, unable to carry enough oxygen and often clogging small blood vessels. People of Mediterranean or Southeast Asian heritage are prone to thalassemia, which causes a low red blood cell count. Medications Certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, alcohol, and anticonvulsive medications like Dilantin, as well as exposure to bone marrow-damaging chemotherapy, radiation, or pollutants, may also result in anemia.
Read More on Fatigue & Low Energy: Getting Started Conquering Fatigue: A True Tale Keep it SIMPLE Energy tip Chamomile Tea Nutritional Therapies Mighty Minerals that Fight Fatigue Foods Rich in Potassium and Magnesium Complementary Therapies Acupressure for Fatigue Relief
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