People often think they are tired due to stress. Some think they just need more sleep. Another reason may be iron-deficiency anemia.
"I'm always tired, but I've gotten used to it," says Kathy, 49. "I come home from work, cook dinner, then clean or do laundry. And I'm wiped out. Maybe I should get to sleep earlier, but it never seems to work out that way."
"I thought I was just run down and stressed out," says Julie, 28, a graduate student who stays up late working. "I had no idea there was a medical cause."
Kathy and Julie both have iron-deficiency anemia. It happens when the body does not have enough iron.
Iron is needed to make healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen to the rest of the body. Oxygen is used by your body to help make energy. It also helps with the immune system, wound healing, and other functions.
Anemia comes on slowly, so many people do not know they have it. Even a small lack of iron can cause a person to feel tired. Low levels of iron can lead to problems like:
Women who menstruate are at risk because of blood loss. Some women do not get enough iron in their diets to make up for these losses. Iron deficiency is also common among:
Here is the Office of Dietary Supplements' Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron:
Age | Males (mg/day) | Females (mg/day | Pregnancy (mg/day) | Lactation (mg/day) |
---|---|---|---|---|
7 to 12 months | 11 | 11 | – | – |
1 to 3 years | 7 | 7 | – | – |
4 to 8 years | 10 | 10 | – | – |
9 to 13 years | 8 | 8 | – | – |
14 to 18 years | 11 | 15 | 27 | 10 |
19 to 50 years | 8 | 18 | 27 | 9 |
51 years and older | 8 | 8 | – | – |
A supplement may be needed for anemia that is severe. Talk to your doctor before you take one. Too much can cause harm.
People who do not have enough iron should look for ways to add more to their diet. Knowing which foods are rich in iron is the first step. Here are some good sources of iron:
Office of Dietary Supplements—National Institutes of Health
http://www.ods.od.nih.gov
Office on Women's Health
http://www.womenshealth.gov
Health Canada
http://www.canada.ca
Public Health Agency of Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca
Iron. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated October 16, 2019. Accessed February 6, 2020.
Iron deficiency anemia in adults . EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/iron-deficiency-anemia-in-adults. Updated March 14, 2019. Accessed February 6, 2020.
Iron deficiency in children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/iron-deficiency-anemia-in-children. Updated January 29, 2020. Accessed February 6, 2020.
Iron rich foods. American Red Cross website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed February 6, 2020.
Last reviewed November 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN