Feeling tired, weak, or unusually pale? Low iron is a common and fixable cause. This page gives clear, practical steps: what to look for, which foods help, how supplements work, and when to see a doctor. No fluff — just the stuff you can use today.
Common signs of iron shortage include constant fatigue, shortness of breath during light activity, pale skin, brittle nails, and restless legs at night. If you have heavy periods, are pregnant, follow a vegan diet, or have chronic gut issues (like celiac or inflammatory bowel disease), you should check iron levels.
Ask your clinician for a CBC plus ferritin. Ferritin is the best first test for iron stores — many doctors consider ferritin under 30 ng/mL a sign of low iron, while values under 15 usually indicate true deficiency. Hemoglobin tells whether anemia is present; both numbers guide treatment choices.
Eat both heme and non-heme iron. Heme (from meat, fish, poultry) is easiest for your body to absorb. Non-heme iron (from beans, lentils, spinach, fortified cereal) still helps but absorbs less well. Simple tips make a big difference: add vitamin C (orange juice, bell peppers) to meals to boost absorption and avoid tea, coffee, and calcium with iron-rich meals.
Supplements are useful when diet isn’t enough. A commonly used tablet is ferrous sulfate 325 mg (about 65 mg elemental iron). Typical treatment doses for iron-deficiency anemia are in the 100–200 mg elemental iron range per day, split into two doses. If pills upset your stomach, take them with a small amount of food or try a lower dose more often; vitamin C helps but can increase nausea for some people.
Not all forms are equal. Ferrous fumarate and ferrous gluconate are alternatives; slow-release forms may cause fewer stomach problems but often absorb less. Intravenous iron is an option when oral iron fails or when someone needs iron fast — that is done in clinic under supervision.
Practical safety notes: keep iron tablets out of reach of children — overdose can be dangerous. Expect treatment to take weeks to months; hemoglobin rises in a few weeks, but refilling iron stores takes longer. Recheck ferritin after treatment to confirm recovery.
If you’re unsure what dose is right, or if you have heart disease, kidney disease, or unexplained bleeding, talk with your healthcare provider before starting supplements. A quick blood test and a simple plan will get you back to feeling like yourself.
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