Table Of Content

But, significant hair loss may be a sign of iron deficiency. Iron deficiency lowers the level of hemoglobin in your blood, which may reduce the amount of oxygen available to cells that cause hair growth. However, tiredness that occurs with pallor, shortness of breath, and other symptoms may be a sign of anemia. Another possible scenario is having “classic” hypothyroidism symptoms but testing in the normal thyroid level range. If this happens to you, ask your doctor about checking out your ferritin levels.
Vitamin D
On the surface, weight gain, hair loss, and fatigue seem unrelated. If they occur at the same time, it may be due to an underlying medical condition. Thyroid problems may cause unexplained weight gain, hair loss, and fatigue to occur together. Other symptoms may offer a clue as to the cause and help a doctor make a diagnosis.
Who is most at risk for iron deficiency anemia?
When you have low iron, you’ll need to turn to your diet, supplements, and possibly medications to raise it up to healthy levels. Untreated iron-deficiency anemia can cause health problems such as fatigue, headache, dizziness, developmental delays, and even heart complications. When a lot of blood leaves your body, your iron levels plummet. This might result from bleeding in your gut, your period, or an injury.
What Are the Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency? - Verywell Health
What Are the Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency?.
Posted: Mon, 14 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Risks and precautions
The mineral can help prevent anemia and boost resistance to infection. While iron deficiencies can cause hair loss, so can several other factors. Let's look at those to better understand what can cause thinning hair.
14. Other signs of iron deficiency anemia

Doktor tells us that once an iron deficiency is diagnosed, you'll want to pin down the cause. That's to ensure that once the problem is treated, it won't happen again. "Iron deficiency can be treated firstly by finding the root cause of the iron loss," she says.
What is iron deficiency anemia?
It can also increase your baby’s risk of having anemia during their infancy. Further, anemia can put you at risk of experiencing blood loss during labor. These symptoms can occur regardless of the severity of the anemia, but they tend to occur more intensely with severe anemia. In addition to the physical symptoms, IDA can increase your risk for depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. A 2019 study looked into the connection between IDA and the incidence of migraine.
Flirty, Chic Summer Hairstyles Older Women Can Try For A Refreshed Look This Season
You can find zinc in meats, whole grains, and dairy products. Vitamin D deficiency is another possible link to hair loss. Make sure you’re getting enough sun and try to incorporate vitamin D-rich sources into your diet like eggs, cheese, and fatty fish. When you have low ferritin, you may also experience hair loss. Unfortunately, it can be easy to overlook ferritin if you also have an underlying condition that may cause hair loss. Dr. Piliang shares who might be at risk for low iron and how to treat hair loss.
If your anemia is mild, many doctors would consider your risk of these conditions too low to test for them with a bone marrow biopsy, Ferrucci says. If you have signs or symptoms of anemia, seek medical attention, especially with any serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or fainting. Aplastic anemia is when your blood-forming organs, such as bone marrow, stop producing enough red blood cells. Common general symptoms, such as fatigue and weakness, tend to gradually increase as the anemia gets worse and can occur with any type. But as anemia worsens or becomes severe, it can lead to a range of serious symptoms, such as dizziness or shortness of breath.
What are the symptoms of low ferritin?
Our kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) that is essential to red blood cell production. When you have chronic kidney disease, your kidneys don’t produce enough EPO. In severe cases, this kind of anemia is treated with injections of synthetic EPO, Artz says. In anemia, the heart has to work harder than normal to compensate for the lack of hemoglobin-rich red blood cells. When you don’t get enough iron, it especially affects your bone marrow. The marrow is where hemoglobin is created, a process that depends on iron.
Raw Rice: Is It Safe to Eat? - Healthline
Raw Rice: Is It Safe to Eat?.
Posted: Fri, 22 May 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Muscle weakness or tingling can happen with pernicious anemia. Anemia happens when you don’t have enough red blood cells or your red blood cells aren’t working as well as they could. Some people are born with forms of anemia, but most people who have anemia develop the condition over time. That’s why it’s important to keep track of changes in your body.
Avoid using harsh chemicals on your hair, and don’t be too rough on it while brushing. Use straighteners and hair curlers that emit a lot of heat sparingly. With a combo of this and an iron-rich diet, you’ll be on your way to healthier hair. Eat a balanced diet with foods rich in iron, including meat, poultry, and fish.
Spoon-shaped fingernails, also called koilonychia, are another symptom of iron deficiency anemia. In cases of iron deficiency, your heart has to work especially hard to transport oxygen. Consequently, iron deficiency may worsen conditions that affect your heart, such as heart failure and coronary heart disease. Skin that’s paler than usual in areas like the face, lower inner eyelids, or nails may be a sign of iron deficiency.
But hair loss—especially when it's sudden or at a young age—can also be a sign of certain medical conditions or nutrient deficiencies. Other signs of iron deficiency include strange cravings, depression, frequent infections, and cold hands and feet. Children and older adults share symptoms, but neurological symptoms, like ADHD, are more common in children. The causes of primary restless leg syndrome are not fully understood.
Consider speaking with a doctor to find out if your symptoms are related to a medical condition. Below, we discuss the different medical conditions that may cause these symptoms and what you can do to treat them. However, there are many other hair regrowth treatments available. People with hair loss should talk to their doctor about treatment options.
Heart palpitations are usually triggered by a medical condition, like anemia. In rare cases, heart palpitations are a symptom of a heart condition that requires treatment. If iron deficiency anemia is the suspected cause of hair loss, the first thing to do is be mindful of your iron intake.