5. GOING NUMB
Your body needs to ration where the blood goes, and the organs are the most important parts of your body. So, in a shortage of healthy blood to use, your body may start using the blood that goes to your arms, hands, legs and feet in order to keep a strong supply of blood in other parts of your body. This means that you’re likely to experience some numbness in your extremities.
6. HEADACHES
Everyone gets headaches every once in a while, so a headache by itself doesn’t often point to anemia. However, if other symptoms on the list are checked off, and you’re also experiencing frequent headaches without any relief from pain relievers, you might want to visit your doctor and get tested for anemia. Headaches, coupled with other symptoms, can be a sign that your body isn’t getting enough oxygen and blood in the places it needs to go.
7. HEAVY OR IRREGULAR PERIODS
In women, anemia can be caused by uterine fibroids, which are located inside of the uterine cavity. These fibroids are often the cause of extremely painful, heavy periods. Women who have noticed an irregularity in their periods, as well as heavier than usual bleeding and painful cramps, should talk to their doctor. The culprit just may be iron-deficient anemia.
8. TROUBLE CONCENTRATING
Some people refer to this as ‘brain fog’, because it may feel like there’s a veil of fog cast over all of your thoughts. Not only this, but people who feel like they have sudden trouble keeping their thoughts straight, concentrating, and remembering things may experience this because “Low iron levels can have an impact on work performance, judgment and the ability to focus,” says registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, Maria Ricupero.
Final thoughts…
Without knowing the reason, many of these symptoms can be troubling, or simply brushed off as something else. Anemia affects hundreds of thousands of people, and is more common that one might think. Once all the signs are there, the rest is up to you – getting yourself to a doctor if you suspect that you might be suffering from anemia will ensure that you get the proper tests and the right diagnosis, so you can get back on the track of good health.
