March is National Kidney Month, making today’s topic of Chronic Kidney Disease (also known as CKD) very fitting. A common issue of CKD is iron deficiency anemia, particularly for patients on dialysis.
Month: March 2015
Kelly: From the Challenges of Iron Deficiency to an IronMan Challenger
My name is Kelly and I am iron deficient. My iron levels were never great after the birth of my first child. The blood loss was massive, the doctors pondered my need for a blood transfusion and prescribed me ferrous sulfate to help out. It brought my levels up enough, but I had low iron levels from then on; never low enough to cause alarm, but enough (I would think) to play havoc with my energy levels.
Experiencing Chronic Fatigue? It May Be Iron Deficiency
Many of us may live a busier life than we would care to. We’re always on the go and trying to juggle a dozen things at once. So, feeling tired is normal then, right? Well, feeling tired after a long and busy day is typical, but feeling that you are constantly in a state of fatigue is not. In fact, chronic fatigue falls under my ‘triad of symptoms related to iron deficiency.’
Ways to Enhance Your Iron Absorption
If you’re looking to up the iron you consume, then you’ll want to ensure that you are absorbing as much as possible! Here are a few tips on how to increase your iron absorption.
I’m Iron Deficient… What Are the Treatment Options?
If you’ve been diagnosed with iron deficiency, you have a few different options when it comes to treatment. It is likely that your doctor will recommend a combination of an iron-rich diet along with an iron supplement.
Here’s an overview of the options so that you, together with your doctor or pharmacist, can come up with the best plan of action.
Enhance Absorption with These Top 10 Vitamin C-Rich Foods
Vitamin C helps your body to better absorb iron – both from the iron-rich foods you eat and from iron supplements – along with all kinds of other great health benefits! In past articles, I’ve mentioned that to enhance absorption you can consume non-heme foods with a good source of Vitamin C, and you can take your iron supplement with orange, grapefruit or prune juice (note: this has been proven beneficial only with iron salt formulations).
So, to help you make the most of the iron you consume, here are 10 Vitamin C-rich foods that you can easily add to your daily diet:
A Woman’s Need for Iron Throughout Her Life
In honour of International Women’s Day (March 8th), I thought it was fitting to make today’s post all about the ladies. Did you know that simply being female puts you at a higher risk for developing iron deficiency?
It is estimated that 20% of women of childbearing age are iron deficient and 50% of pregnant women develop iron deficiency. Each life stage can bring about different causes (or types) of the condition, which include:
- Increased blood volume
- Blood loss
- Reduced absorption
Let’s have a look at the risk that each stage of life brings with it and why…
Who Do I Need to See to Diagnose & Treat Iron Deficiency?
Most of the time, your primary care physician will be the first doctor you see about iron deficiency. Depending on your symptoms, blood work results, and cause of your iron deficiency, you may be referred to a different healthcare professional or specialist.
Let’s take a look at which healthcare professionals may be involved in diagnosing and treating you…
I Wonder if MY 70 Blood Donors Know The Importance of Post-Donation Iron Supplementation
As the recipient of 70 units of blood last year (for bone marrow failure), I know first-hand how important blood donation is, and I am forever grateful for those who helped me when I was in need. On the weekend, I heard an announcement from Canadian Blood Services (CBS); while they are always in need of donors, their current inventory of O-negative blood is very low and they are asking for donors to come forward.