Iron Deficiency Higher than Expected in Teens

💃 If you’re a nonpregnant woman or teen, listen up!

A study just published in JAMA found 40% of US females between the ages of 12 and 21 were deficient in iron 🩸

Why should you care?

Because screening for iron deficiency is not routine for this age group!

Guidelines in the US recommend screening for iron-deficient anemia every 5-10 years, but this recent study found that only 6% of the participants actually had anemia, compared with the 40% with iron deficiency.

⚠️ That means iron deficiency can exist WITHOUT anemia and can easily be missed by routine screenings.

What can we do?

The best way to test for iron deficiency is with a blood test for ferritin 🩸It’s a simple thing, but your provider needs to be proactive to order it and know how to interpret it.

In naturopathic medicine, I aim for optimal levels on blood tests, which are not always the same as what’s considered “normal.” If ferritin levels are low, this can usually be corrected through dietary changes and supplementation.

Do you know what the most common symptoms of iron deficiency are?

·       Fatigue

·       Hair Loss

·       Headache

·       Dizziness

·       Insomnia

·       Difficulty Concentrating

·       Weakness

·       Pale Skin

·       Chest Pain

·       Rapid Heartbeat

·       Shortness of Breath

·       Cold Hands & Feet

·       Sore Tongue

·       Brittle Nails

I routinely check ferritin and CBC with differential on my patients.  Please make sure that you are getting these levels checked periodically and reviewed by someone who is familiar with the optimal reference ranges and not the standard reference ranges.  Optimizing your iron stores can make a huge difference in how you feel however you should never take iron without medical supervision.

Here's to healthy iron stores!

Rachel Oppitz, ND