Does iron deficiency have an impact on mental health? What specifically are the psychological signs and symptoms of iron deficiency? Important information and details await you in the following article:
Iron deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms and physical health issues, but can it also cause neurological and psychological problems to appear? What specifically are the psychological and neurological signs of iron deficiency? Here's the answer and some important additional information:
Psychological and neurological symptoms of iron deficiency
Symptoms of a mild iron shortage might not be seen at first, but as the situation worsens; The resulting deficiency may stimulate anemia , so that many symptoms begin to appear, which may include psychological and neurological symptoms and complications, such as:
1. Pica
Craving for strange things is among the most prominent psychological symptoms of iron deficiency, and this condition appears in the form of an urgent desire to eat non-food items, such as the following materials: dirt, starch, snow, and mud.
It is thought that the association between this phenomenon and iron deficiency is nothing more than the body trying to tell the patient to take iron-containing medications to make up for the deficiency in iron levels, especially in situations where the patient's environment lacks dietary sources of iron, such as in starvation situations where food is scarce.
When an iron shortage is severe, there is a higher likelihood that this type of psychological iron insufficiency symptom will manifest.
2. Less desire to carry out routine tasks
A person with an iron deficiency typically has low levels of energy and activity, which results in fatigue that persists despite getting enough sleep and rest. The patient may have a certain amount of lethargy, apathy, and an unwillingness to engage in many of the regular activities as a result of weariness and low levels of activity.
The weariness caused by an iron deficiency is brought on by the body's vital tissues not receiving the necessary amount of oxygen. Low levels of oxygen that the blood can carry to different regions of the body are a sign of iron deficiency, which leaves the body's tissues, including muscle tissue, with insufficient oxygen levels. It is worth noting that severe fatigue may be the first psychological symptom of iron deficiency.
3. Depression and other conditions of the mind
Iron deficiency can cause anaemia, which, if untreated, can cause depression as well as other neurological and mental diseases and disorders, or make those who already have them worse, especially the following conditions and illnesses:
- anxiety.
- bipolar disorder
Because iron is crucial for maintaining the consistency of brain processes and promoting the development of different neurotransmitters, low levels of iron can impair brain function and promote the formation of the aforementioned neurological and psychiatric problems.
4. Restless legs syndrome
As the patient experiences cramps or discomfort that causes him to shake his legs, especially during sleep at night, iron deficiency may be the cause of restless legs syndrome, a medical condition that causes the affected person to feel an urgent urge to shake his legs while lying down or sitting. This may affect the patient's quality of sleep.
Restless legs syndrome can trigger a group of neurological and psychological disorders if the patient does not undergo the necessary treatment, such as the following disorders: anxiety, tension, insomnia, and memory disorders.
5. Perception and learning disorders
Iron deficiency can lead to problems with cognition and the ability to acquire certain skills, such as the following:
- Low levels of concentration.
- little capacity for learning and knowledge acquisition.
- Slow development of cognitive and social skills in children of growing age.
This particular sort of psychological iron deficiency symptom may reduce the patient's productivity at work or in their studies.
Physical symptoms of iron deficiency
Here is a list of the most prevalent additional iron deficiency symptoms, some of which are connected to iron deficiency anaemia, after we have examined the psychological and neurological symptoms of iron deficiency:
1. Circulatory system conditions
Anemia, which can result from iron deficiency, can cause health issues with the heart and blood arteries, including:
- Accelerated heart rate.
- heart failure
2. Modifications to the skin, hair, or nails
Such as the following symptoms:
- Certain nail alterations, such as hollow nails, weak nails, and nails that fracture easily.
- a few hair changes, like hair loss and thinning.
- a few variations in skin tone, such as pallor or a touch of green.
3. Other symptoms
Such as the following symptoms:
- apnea
- Dizziness.
- difficulty swallowing
- chest pain
- Menstruation stops.
- Glossitis .
- weak immune system; frequently exposed to infection and inflammation
- headache.
- Constant feeling of cold.
- nervousness.
- Decreased sexual desire.
When should you consult a doctor?
If any of the above-mentioned psychological or physical iron deficiency symptoms manifest, it is best to see a doctor, especially if the symptoms are also anemia-related. Examples of such symptoms include:
- Headache, dizziness.
- Coolness of the extremities.
- apnea
- Heart rhythm disturbances.
- Fatigue, extreme weakness.
- Loss of appetite .
- nervousness.
- Cravings for non-food items.
- Weak nails.
- glossitis;