Iron deficiency: The sign on your tongue you could be low in the essential mineral

Doctor advises what to eat to help an iron deficiency

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A low level of iron, leading to anaemia, can result from various causes. Complications may develop if the anaemia becomes severe and is not treated. Many of the symptoms of iron deficiency can be mistaken for a normal part of the sometimes stressful lives we lead, such as tiredness and struggling to focus at work.

One clearer sign which can be spotted is related to your tongue.

Someone who has an iron deficiency may experience a sore tongue, according to Patient.info.

They may also experience sores at the corners of their mouth and find any cuts and grazes taking a long time to get better.

Nails can become brittle and break easily, due to this deficiency.

Other complications can also arise from a lack of iron.

It can affect the immune system so you may become more likely to develop infections.

If you develop anaemia, from a lack of iron, in pregnancy it also increases the risk of complications for the mother and baby.

There is an increased risk of having a premature delivery and postnatal depression.

Anaemia caused by a lack of iron is called iron-deficiency anaemia.

Iron-deficiency anaemia means that a person has fewer red blood cells than normal or less haemoglobin than they should in each red blood cell.

This will mean that a reduced amount of oxygen is carried around in the bloodstream.

A blood test can confirm whether or not you are anaemic.

With the world gripped by coronavirus, making sure your body is at tip top health is vital.

A normal balanced diet will usually contain enough iron for your body’s needs.

However, in the UK it has been shown that 25 percent of adult women and 49 percent of teenage girls are not getting enough in their diet.

Nonetheless, a low level of iron, leading to anaemia, can result from various causes.

These can include heavy menstrual periods and certain medications.

The NHS website states if you have iron-deficiency anaemia, your GP will prescribe you iron tablets to replace the iron missing from your body.

You can buy other tablets, but the prescribed ones are stronger and need to be taken for about six months.

Your GP will then follow your progress over a few months and if the cause of your iron deficiency, they will let you know which changes in your diet you might need to make.

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