Iron Deficiency Anemia

If you believe you might have iron deficiency anemia consult your doctor to find the cause of the deficiency.

Iron supplements are usually needed during pregnancy and lactation.

Incorporate the foods rich in iron into your diet.

Children need extra iron during growth spurts for their muscle development. A healthy diet helps to ensure this.

If you are vegetarian you may need additional iron supplements/pills because grains/vegetables are not as readily absorbed into the body as meats are.

Important: iron pills should only be taken under doctor supervision. Too much iron can damage your liver and have other negative side affects.

Take daily multivitamins containing iron.

Vitamin C tablets or in citrus juices helps your body absorb iron from both animals and plants.

Avoid foods that block iron absorption such as coffee, tea, egg yolk, milk, fiber and soy proteins.

Iron Rich Foods

Foods Rich in Iron:


Meat (easily absorbed by the body)

Seafood

Dried fruits (prunes, raisins, apricots, etc.)

Nuts and seeds

Beans (especially lima beans)

Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach or broccoli (less easily absorbed by the body)

Whole-grains, Iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas

Iron Deficiency

Symptoms:

Pale skin
Drowsiness, fatigue
Soreness/inflammation of the tongue
Headaches, lightheadedness
Brittle nails
Accelerated heartbeat
Cold hands and feet
Poor appetite (especially in children)
Shortness of breath
Restless leg syndrome (an uncomfortable tingly sensation in your legs)
Odd food cravings (pregnentcy has been known to cause this as well)

* note: If iron deficiency anemia is mild you may not notice any symptoms.

Breastfeeding and Iron

Pregnancy.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women need to eat more iron-rich foods or take iron supplements.

They need more than two times the amount of iron as men do to serve their own increased volume of blood as well as for their growing child.

The good news is that iron deficiency anemia is a very treatable condition!

With changes in your diet and iron supplementation (according to your physicians recommendations), blood counts can return to normal within a couple of months.

The best way to treat this form of anemia is through prevention.

Iron in your diet

What causes to little iron in your diet?

Young women and some children are more susceptible to low iron levels because of irregular eating habits, fad diets, and/or lack of iron-rich foods.

Loss of blood.

This may be the most common reason for iron deficiency anemia in adults.

Women with a heavy menstrual flow can cause anemia since they have smaller stores of iron than men do and lose a lot of blood during their period.

Internal bleeding from taking asprin or similar medicines for a long time, ulcers, or even cancers can also account for low iron levels.

ANEMIA

IRON-DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

Our bodies need iron to make hemoglobin which works in red blood cells to make oxygen.
Iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which the red blood cells that carry oxygen to tissues are unable to do so effectively, is caused when there is too little iron.

The National Institutes of Health wrote, "Iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of anemia. Approximately 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women, and 3% of men are iron deficient…

Iron is normally obtained through the food in your diet and by recycling iron from old red blood cells. Without it, the blood cannot carry oxygen effectively - and oxygen is needed for the normal functioning of every cell in the body."

So what causes iron deficiency? There are a number of reasons, next I will give the most common ones.

Senior Volunteers

Gift Ideas @ canadiantire.ca


Get involved in volunteer activities:

Find a place that fits your needs and interests and go for it!

The list is endless: church or synagogue, hospitals, schools, services for shut-ins, tutoring, reading for the blind----and the list goes on and on.

So many deserving places or activities need people with the time and energy to perform useful tasks in the community.

There is a place for all of us. We just need to get out there and makes ourselves useful!

In a book, I read about two ladies in their nineties, who, once a week, drove downtown in their city and fed the homeless in their church's soup kitchen.

They might have been holy terrors driving on the streets; but they felt useful, plus they had a lot of fun!!
The main idea is for all of us to get moving.

The curtain is going up on our Third Act. Let us all embrace and enjoy it!

Cultural Opportunities

Father's Day gifts for Dad, from MotherNature.com!

Seek out cultural opportunities:

Take advantage of museums, art galleries, symphony concerts, local theater groups, high school and college presentations.

Watch for openings at local art galleries and other exhibition spaces.

Many museums have free admission to their permanent exhibits, or discounted ticket prices for senior citizens on any special exhibitions. And art galleries are free for everyone to inspect the current exhibit.

A couple in their seventies never had two pennies to rub together until they educated three children and paid off the loans for such expensive education.

In their more mature years, they became fascinated with the visual arts, and with the loans paid in full, they are now enthusiastic---and knowledgeable---modest art collectors.

Many symphony orchestras and opera companies have matinee performances where the ticket price is considerably less than the night performances. Go with a friend, or go by yourself. You will have a good time!

Another couple in their sixties decided they needed to be educated in some new subject.

They knew absolutely nothing about opera, in fact had never been to a single performance, but they saw this subject was being offered at their local community college, and they signed up.

Now they are not only opera enthusiasts, they also are significant patrons of the well-known opera company in their city.

These are only a few of the things that are available for seniors to get out and meet different people and try new things that do not cost a lot of money or energy.

Retirement Communities

Some of the most popular retirement communities in America are those in towns where colleges and universities are located.

Many of these colleges and universities have a separate division exclusively for seniors.

Community colleges also offer a wealth of courses in many different subjects, including courses on the various crafts.

And many towns and cities have one or more senior centers that should be investigated.

These are not adult day care centers but places offering courses in various subjects on a semester-like basis.

One small city's Department of Recreation and Parks conducts thirty or more classes each fall and spring, ranging from creative writing to sign language to wreath making, all at a modest fee.

Comedian George Carlin writes: "Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle, this is : "How To Stay Young".