Iron deficiency means you have less iron than your body needs to be healthy. You need iron to make hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen through your body. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia, a condition in which your blood doesn’t have enough red blood cells. If you don’t have enough red blood cells, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen.
Iron-deficiency anemia may cause you to look pale and feel tired, or you may not have any symptoms at first. But if your anemia goes untreated, it can cause serious complications. When you don’t have enough red blood cells, your heart has to work harder to get enough oxygen to your organs. Your heart has to work harder even before you notice any symptoms. This extra work can make the wall of your heart muscle thicken, a condition called LVH (left ventricular hypertophy). LVH is serious, and can require hospitalization and sometimes cause death. Treating your anemia right away is essential.
