Patient information- Iron deficiency anaemia
What is iron deficiency anaemia?
Anaemia means:
- you have less red blood cells than normal, or
- you have less haemoglobin than normal in each red blood cell.
In either case, a reduced amount of oxygen is carried around in the bloodstream. The most common cause of anaemia in India is a lack of iron. This is called iron deficiency anaemia.
What are the symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia?
General symptoms are tiredness, lethargy, light headed, ringing in the ear. If you have underlying heart disease, then you may feel breathless and can even have chest pain.
How is iron deficiency anaemia diagnosed?
A blood test can confirm that you are anaemic, and measure the amount of iron in the blood. If your anaemia is due to lack of iron, the cause for the low level of iron needs to be explained.
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Dr. Pritesh Junagade
Haematologist & Oncologist
