weir: low iron mimics signs of hormone imbalance

iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in women, causing symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, feeling cold all the time, hair loss, and sometimes, not having enough energy to even climb a flight of stairs.“women are so used to leading hectic lives and feeling tired, that they often dismiss their fatigue as menopause or ‘just part of life,’” says pharmacist, ying wang. “it’s almost as if someone told an entire generation of women to expect to feel weak, irritable and unable to focus.”ying, who manages pure integrative pharmacy in vancouver, says that while some women find it challenging to get adequate iron from diet alone, heavy bleeding during perimenopause is also a common cause of iron deficiency.she advises women to keep an eye out for signs of deficiency, like fatigue and brain fog, have their ferritin levels tested — which will show how much iron is stored in their bodies — and also educate themselves on the supplements that are available to give them that iron boost.one of the challenges of identifying a lack of iron is that the normal reference range for ferritin is quite broad. this means a woman can have all the symptoms of being anemic, but if her level falls within the standard range of what is labeled “normal,” her doctor may miss the opportunity to treat the deficiency.luckily, this wasn’t the case for phyllis reid, 53, of wiarton, ontario. when she noticed that she became winded while climbing stairs, her doctor checked her iron levels.“my ferritin was 2,” says reid. “fortunately, my doctor was on it immediately and i now supplement. i didn’t even realize how exhausted i was until i started to feel better.”while it’s easy to assume symptoms are part of the perimenopause-to-menopause transition, ying says that the increase in quality information on the importance of iron, access to online records and the availability of high-quality supplements have made it easier for women to identify when their bodies need more iron and do something about it.referring to information posted on ferapro.com, a vancouver-based iron supplement manufacturer, she has these iron-deficiency busting tips:know the signs. fatigue, exercise-intolerance, cold-intolerance, hair loss, dizziness, irritability, brain fog and restless legs.test iron regularly. test ferritin levels on a regular basis, and discuss low thyroid with your doctor, since the symptoms overlap. your thyroid requires adequate iron levels to function optimally.know your ferritin level. ask the lab, your doctor or access your test results online so you can have an informed conversation with your pharmacist.supplement. choose a high-quality supplement that will be optimally absorbed — iron absorption requires vitamin c — and one that won’t cause stomach upset, nausea or constipation.a lack of iron is no fun and can wreak havoc on your quality of life. but paying attention to your body and having informed discussions with your doctor can go a long way to helping you stay healthy, and ensuring that you are living your healthiest life. shirley weir is the founder of menopause chicks, an online facebook community that advocates for women in perimenopause, menopause & beyond! she is also the author of mokita: how to navigate perimenopause with confidence & ease. @menopausechicks