Iron Deficiency
Case study: Betty is a 29 year old housewife with two children. She saw her gynecologist for a routine checkup and mentioned that her monthly menstrual periods were getting longer and heavier over the past year. She was also having unexpected extra periods during some months. Because of the extra blood loss, blood tests were done. Her doctor told her that her hemoglobin was 9.8 which is a sign of anemia. (Normal for women is over 12.) Further blood tests showed that she had a low iron level. She was placed on iron pills twice a day and a hormone to regulate her periods. Within two months she was back to normal and her anemia was corrected.
Red blood cells excel at oxygen delivery because they are made of a special pigment called hemoglobin which selectively binds oxygen molecules. Hemoglobin is mostly made of iron, a natural mineral. Just like a factory needs steel to make cars, your bone marrow needs iron to create hemoglobin and new red blood cells….