Anemia due to iron depletion is widely held in children and women of all ages but mainly in women who still have their periods (at least 20% suffer from iron deficiency). Main signs are paleness, feeling tired, headaches, faster heartbeat, or shortness of breath during exercise. They may appear gradually and could go unnoticed. Iron deficiency occurs when blood does not contain enough red blood cells and thus low levels of hemoglobin, which is the major protein involved in oxygen transport in whole body. An important component of hemoglobin is iron. Depletion of iron, which can happen during pregnancy, growth, in case of insufficient iron intake, inadequate absorption or blood loss (period, abnormal bleedings, ulcers, etc.) has tremendous effects on health. Low ferritin may also indicate hypothyroidism, vitamin C deficiency or celiac disease. Low ferritin levels are seen in some patients with restless legs syndrome, not necessarily related to anemia, but perhaps due to low iron stores short of anemia.
