Iron deficiency in the body is a topical public health problem. This is due to the fact that the prevalence of this disease among the entire population of the planet is very high. The consequences of the deficiency are very serious both for the child's body and for the adult population.
The biological role of iron
Each human body contains from 3 to 5 grams of iron. About 7% of the substance is located in the hemoglobin of the blood. Iron is also found in peroxidase and catalase enzymes, in a number of proteins.
The main role of iron is oxygen transportation. Also, the substance provides the transportation of electrons in the process of redox reactions. Also, iron is involved in the formation of enzymes.
The biggest risk of iron deficiency is the risk of developing anemia, or iron deficiency anemia.
general characteristics
The international classification of diseases distinguishes two conditions:
- IDA, iron deficiency anemia;
- LV, latent iron deficiency.
ICD classifies the latent type as a functional disorder that is a precursor to anemia. And IDA is an independent nosological form, which is on the 38th place in the list of prevalence of pathologies. In turn, LDH occurs in 50% of the population. Particularly affected are children under the age of 2 years, girls in adolescence and women in reproductive age.
Latent iron deficiency in ICD-10 does not have an independent code. You can find this disease in subsection E61 - "The insufficiency of other nutrients."
Features of latent form
Doctors distinguish a preferential form of the disease, which does not have clinical significance. It appears against the background of the intake of insufficient amounts of iron with food, or the diet does not correspond to age, the state of the body, for example, during pregnancy or in the phase of active growth. However, the replenishment of iron in this case is due to the body's own reserves, which are intended for the transportation and storage of hemoglobin.
What is latent iron deficiency? And this is actually the next stage after the prelate form of the disease. In the body, the amount of incoming iron is gradually reduced. Which negatively affects the production of red blood cells. However, the Hb content in the body remains normal.
Causes of deficiency
The most basic cause of deficiency is an inadequate diet. Most often, this condition is typical for children who like to consume milk, but do not like to consume foods containing iron, for example, the same apples.
A lack of iron may appear against the background of strict diets, which is typical for the female half of humanity. Children in the active phase of growth may suffer from a lack of iron, as the body may not have time to produce it.
The period of lactation and bearing a child is that time of a woman’s life when the body needs twice as much iron. Against this background, pregnant women are advised to take an analysis for the presence of anemia and eat foods high in iron. Quite often, doctors recommend using nutritional supplements to make up for the deficiency of this element.
The cause of the development of the disease can be lead poisoning or an excess of calcium in the body.
Blood loss
This is one of the most common causes of iron deficiency in adults. Latent iron deficiency in a woman can occur against the background of heavy menstruation, with a diagnosis of uterine fibroids, if there is endometriosis or there are intrauterine contraceptives.
In other cases, a deficiency may occur due to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract or in the presence of cancer or due to prolonged use of Aspirin. The problem may occur after surgery.
How to understand that there is a problem?
Symptoms of latent iron deficiency in the initial stage are almost invisible. As the disease begins to progress, the so-called sideropenic symptoms appear, which appear in the form of:
- muscle weakness;
- decreased performance;
- almost complete lack of loyalty to physical activity;
- changes in taste preferences;
- changes in sense of smell.
What is latent iron deficiency and how does it appear externally? First of all, it’s possible to understand that a problem has arisen by changing the structure of nails and hair. Stomatitis and problems with the mucous membranes may even appear. With a deficit, people start to like the smell of paint and chalk. No changes in hemoglobin concentration were observed.
Features of symptoms in childhood
If we talk about the deficit in prenatal development, then at this stage of development of the baby, he receives all the nutrition and nutrients exclusively from the mother’s blood. Accordingly, if a pregnant woman has a deficiency of this substance, then uteroplacental insufficiency appears.
Before giving birth, the baby already independently accumulates iron in the body, which in the ideal case should be enough up to 6 months after birth, that is, until the moment when complementary foods begin.
If the baby is born prematurely, then in 85% of cases, such babies do not have time to accumulate iron in their body, so they are at risk. In the future, the problem can only be aggravated if improper nutrition is organized.
Even if there were no problems during childbirth, still at the sixth month the baby already needs to replenish the amount of iron due to complementary foods in order to avoid the risk of developing not only latent iron deficiency in children, but also anemia.
One of the most important signs of a baby’s deficiency is dryness and pallor of the skin. Like adults, children have brittle nails and hairs. Also characteristic symptoms include:
- drowsiness;
- poor appetite
- jammed lips;
- fatigue;
- decreased muscle tone.
In more adulthood, latent iron deficiency in children is manifested by a bluish tint of eye proteins. This is due to the fact that the sclera of the eyeballs are thinning. Rarely, but still there is an incomprehensible craving for inedible products in children, for example, a passion for eating dry cereals or chalk, fresh minced meat.
In some children, against the background of deficiency, even urinary incontinence occurs, which can occur not only at night, but also when laughing or coughing, during jumps. If the baby has a latent form for a long time, then problems with the cardiovascular system may appear, for example, it may be dizziness or tinnitus.
The lack of treatment in childhood can be the cause of the development of severe pathologies, including a delay in mental and physical development.
Diagnostic measures
What is latent iron deficiency? How is he diagnosed? To determine the deficiency, a blood test is prescribed, which is designed to determine the amount of hemoglobin, red blood cells. The level of serum iron is also determined, which in this case drops to 14 or less μmol / L. Other blood counts confirming the presence of a problem:
- a decrease in transferrin saturation from 25 to 40%;
- increase in the iron-binding ability of serum in the range of 45-47 μmol / L.
Red blood cells can also change in color and size, and the level of ferritin decreases. A decrease in hemoglobin levels is very rare.
ICD-10 latent iron deficiency is assigned to syndromes and quite often remains unrecognized. In light of this, parents themselves must ensure that the child is tested every year for BI and UAC.
Therapeutic measures
The basis of therapeutic tactics is to eliminate the root cause of the deficiency and restore the supply of substances in the body. However, one should always remember that an excess of a substance is not beneficial for humans, therefore, all treatment should be accompanied by mandatory laboratory tests.
Treatment of latent iron deficiency at the stage when the hemoglobin level is normal is based on nutrition adjustment. Of protein products, it is recommended to prefer the use of eggs, animal liver and meat. There is a strong belief that apples contain a large amount of iron, and this is true. But the human body can assimilate this element coming from fruits, only in the amount of not more than 5%.
Milk can only be consumed separately from products containing iron. Drinking strong tea is not recommended, as it reduces the bioavailability of iron entering the body. It is possible to improve the absorption process with Vitamin B and C, copper and folic acid.
It should be remembered that about 10-18 mg of iron should be ingested daily.
Reception of biologically active additives
Now you know what it is - latent iron deficiency. Is it possible to make up the missing substance by taking dietary supplements? Despite the skepticism of official medicine on supplements, they are often included in the therapy. Most suitable supplements that are saturated with iron salts and have in their composition vitamins, for example, B and C. They will improve the transport of iron in the body. The doctor may prescribe:
- brewer's yeast with iron salts;
- hematogen.
Most often, the course of taking dietary supplements is 3 months.
Conservative therapy
Latent iron deficiency is characterized by an almost imperceptible decrease in the level of a substance in the body. Therefore, it is rational to prescribe preparations containing ferric and ferric ions. The first type of drugs is best absorbed by the body, but supplements with ferric iron have much fewer side effects.
Drugs must be taken according to a certain pattern, usually during eating. It is by combining drugs and food that supplements are better absorbed by the body.
The most common side effects include:
- pain in the abdomen;
- constipation
- nausea.
The duration of treatment is from 3 to 5 months.
Pediatric Treatment
Latent iron deficiency according to the ICD-10 code is assigned to the syndrome, but still requires the intervention of a doctor in order to prevent anemia. The tactics of treatment in children are not much different from the treatment of adults. However, it is very important to consider the weight of the child. In this case, the doctor should calculate the dosage only. For children, the preparations are presented in the form of syrups and drops, which can be added even to the milk mixture or other complementary foods.
Also, dietary supplements and hematogen are presented in the form of syrups for use in pediatrics. Naturally, you need to adjust the power.
When are treatment results noticeable?
The ICD-10 code for latent iron deficiency is in category E61 - “Deficiency of other nutrients”. According to the assurance of doctors, if adequate treatment is selected, then the improvement can be noticed on the 4th-6th day. Already on the 11th day, an increase in the number of reticulocytes should be noticeable. And on the 18th day, an increase in hemoglobin is noted in the blood. If the optimal amount of hemoglobin is reached, then the dosage of the drugs is reduced.
It is impossible to achieve such positive results if the bleeding could not be eliminated. Often it is not possible to make up for iron deficiency if it was not possible to correctly diagnose. In many cases, deficiency is confused with thalassemia or sideroblastic anemia. And in some patients, a combined type of disease occurs, that is, a lack of iron and folic acid in the body.
Do not be afraid that the duration of treatment for iron deficiency is long. The drugs are not able to overload the body with matter, since only the amount of iron reserves is restored, its absorption by the body decreases sharply.
Preventative measures
As a rule, doctors try to prevent, rather than treat, latent iron deficiency during pregnancy. For preventive purposes, the use of dietary supplements is recommended for pregnant women. Iron preparations are required if the patient receives permanent hemodialysis or is a blood donor.
In infancy, the use of mixtures containing iron salts is recommended as a preventive measure. This is especially true when the baby is premature.
Naturally, the basis of preventive measures is the adjustment of nutrition, since it is against the background of diets that this syndrome occurs. Mandatory in the diet should be nuts, dried fruits, seafood, beans.
Both in childhood and in adulthood, walks in the fresh air should not be neglected, moderate physical activity should be present. Somatic and infectious diseases should be prevented on an ongoing basis, as they also often provoke iron deficiency in the body. The first symptoms of the development of the syndrome should not be ignored, it is imperative to consult a doctor and donate blood for hemoglobin and other indicators that give reason to refute or confirm the diagnosis.
It should also be remembered that an excess of iron can cause the development of no less dangerous diseases than its deficiency. So, an excess of the substance can cause liver failure, lead to dyspeptic phenomena on the skin, hyperpigmentation of the skin, to a decrease in body weight and liver fibrosis.
Normally, 18 mg of iron should be fed into the female body daily, and for men, the dose is 10 mg.