Iron Deficient Anemia
Anemia

Clinical definition of sideropenic anemia

Sideropenic anemia is defined as an hypochromic microcytic anemia due to excessive loss, deficient intake or poor absorption of iron.
When examined under a microscope, the red blood cells (RBCs) appear pale or light colored because of the absence of heme, the major component of hemoglobin.

Diagnosis of sideropenic anemia

To diagnose iron deficiency anemia, the doctor may run tests to look for:

1) red blood cells color and size: with iron deficiency anemia, red blood cells are paler in color and smaller than normal;
2) hematocrit: this is the percentage of the blood volume made up by red blood cells. Normal levels are generally between 34.9 and 44.5 percent for adult women and 38.8 to 50 percent for adult men;
3) hemoglobin: lower than normal hemoglobin levels indicate anemia. The normal hemoglobin range is generally defined as 13.5 to 17.5 grams (g) of hemoglobin per deciliter (dL) of blood for men and 12.0 to 15.5 g/dL for women. The normal ranges for children vary depending on the child's age and sex;
4) ferritin: a low level of ferritin usually indicates a low level of stored iron;
5) serum iron: measures how much iron is circulating in the blood and is lower than normal in a person with iron deficiency anemia;
6) total iron binding capacity (TIBC or transferrin): measurea the amount of transferrin in the blood that is capable of transporting iron to RBCs or body stores and is higher than normal in a person with iron deficency anemia;
7) transferrin saturation: measures the percentage of iron-binding sites on transferrin that are occupied by iron and is lower that normal in a person with iron deficiency anemia.

Symptoms of sideropenic anemia

Many people with iron deficiency anemia have no symptoms at all.
Of those who do, the most common symptoms include:

1) Weakness
2) Headache
3) Irritability
4) Fatigue
5) Difficulty exercising (due to shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat).

Less common symptoms of iron deficiency include brittle nails, sore tongue and restless legs syndrome.