Coates A, Mountjoy M, Burr J. Incidence of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in elite runners and triathletes. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2017; 27(5) 493-498. doi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000000390 The PatchAid Iron Plus Patch and PatchAid Simply Iron Patch are transdermal iron patches that you may want to bring up with your healthcare provider. Your doctor will find out why your iron is low. Usually, you can treat iron deficiency anemia with supplements. Once your iron levels go up, you should start to feel better. Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia Supplemental iron can be taken orally via liquid, pills, or gummies or (if recommended) through an IV or intramuscular injection. Typically, it comes as ferrous or ferric iron salts. Ferrous iron in supplements is more readily absorbed than ferric iron. Consuming excess supplemental iron can be dangerous. Taking over 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight can lead to gastric upset, constipation, vomiting, and faintness. Repeated high dose supplementation can cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and, over time, can result in damage to the liver or brain.

Pregnancy. When you’re expecting, you need extra iron to nourish your growing baby. If you don't get enough iron from your diet or supplements, you can become deficient. Stoffel NU, Cercamondi CI, Bittenham G, Zeder C, Geurts-Moespot AJ, Swinkels DW et al. Iron absorption from oral supplements given on consecutive versus alternate days and as single morning doses versus twice-daily split dosing in iron-depleted women: two open-label, randomised controlled trials. The Lancet Haematology. 2017; 4(11):e524-e533. doi:10.1016/S2352-3026(17)30182-5 inflammatory bowel disease–a condition that causes redness and swelling (inflammation) in the digestive system, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

If you forget to take it

Blood loss. Blood contains iron within red blood cells. So if you lose blood, you lose some iron. Women with heavy periods are at risk of iron deficiency anemia because they lose blood during menstruation. Slow, chronic blood loss within the body — such as from a peptic ulcer, a hiatal hernia, a colon polyp or colorectal cancer — can cause iron deficiency anemia. Gastrointestinal bleeding can result from regular use of some over-the-counter pain relievers, especially aspirin. For example, ifnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are causing bleeding in your stomach, your GP may prescribe a different medicine to help minimise the risk of stomach bleeding. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. If your diet is partly causing your iron deficiency anaemia, your GP will tell you what foods are rich in iron so you can eat more of them. For example, you may develop tachycardia, which isan abnormally fast heartbeat,or heart failure, where the heart fails to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure. Pregnancy complications

If yourblood test results show an improvement, you’ll be asked to continue taking iron supplements and return in two to fourmonths for another blood test. The nutrients go right into the bloodstream across the skin. They are activated to leave the matrix of the adhesive patch when heat from the skin hits the matrix. Once in the bloodstream, iron can be transported to the places in the body that need it. You can leave the patch on for up to 8 hours before removing and discarding it. wholegrain cereals–although wholegrains are a good source of iron themselves, they contain phytic acid, which can stop your body absorbing iron from other foods and pills

How long to take it for

Burden RJ, Morton K, Richards T, Whyte GP, Pedlar CR. Is iron treatment beneficial in iron-deficient but non-anemic (IDNA) endurance athletes? A systematic review and meta analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2015; 49(21):1389-1397. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-093624 Bloor S, et al. (2021). Oral iron supplementation — gastrointestinal side effects and the impact on the gut microbiota. The third party certifications we can trust are: ConsumerLab.com, NSF, and USP. However, these certifications are difficult to obtain and/or expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested by one of these three organizations.

Auerbach M. Treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adults. In: UpToDate, Mentzer W, Means RT, Tirnauer JS, Kunins L (Eds), UpToDate. If your iron levels don’t improve, your GP will ask how regularly you’ve been taking your iron supplements.

How to take it

Women. Because women lose blood during menstruation, women in general are at greater risk of iron deficiency anemia. Some pregnant women require an iron supplement, whileothers may need to increase the amount of iron in their diet. Obeid R, Heil SG, Verhoeven MMA, van den Heuvel EGHM, de Groot LCPGM, Eussen SJPM. Vitamin B12 Intake From Animal Foods, Biomarkers, and Health Aspects. Front Nutr. 2019;6:93. doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00093