Tired of being tired?
If you’ve been feeling tired and don’t want to get out of bed, perhaps you need to delve deeper. Although tiredness is a common experience, it’s worth checking in on how you are otherwise feeling. For instance, if you’re also experiencing dizzy spells or head spins when you stand up, it could indicate an underlying imbalance in the body.
Life shouldn’t feel like you’re constantly walking on a tight rope. The pressure of not falling off the merry-go-round when it comes to being a mum or a reliable employee may make you put your feelings on the back burner. You continue to juggle life, despite feeling off. However, having a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, difficultly concentrating or dizziness is something you should address. If you also notice your skin is paler, there are changes with your hair and nails, you’re feeling cold and/or experiencing headaches, it could be a sign of an iron deficiency. This is commonly known as anaemia and can be detected with a blood test. It is most common for young women between ages 18 and 30, but men and children can also be susceptible. An iron-deficiency can occur when blood is lost during menstruation or from surgery, during pregnancy, while having growth spurts, due to diet (commonly veganism), or from other health related conditions.
When children are anaemic, they may experience similar symptoms to adults. It’s important to fuel their diet and yours with foods like meats, beans, seafood, greens, fibre, and nuts. Vitamin B-12, B6, and C can help the absorption of iron and support your body’s recovery. On the other hand, tea, coffee, and alcohol can affect iron absorption. Separating such drinks away from iron-rich meals can help restore balance to your body.
Neglecting signals that something is wrong with your body can lead to physical, emotional, and psychological burnout. Such disruption can suck the joy out of life and leave you feeling frustrated or angry. Cases of depression have climbed threefold during the pandemic, so watch your mood and try to stay optimistic. Make small changes and take care of your body - you will feel much happier and energetic.
The nitty gritty of anaemia is that iron is essential to the formation of haemoglobin – a protein found in red blood cells. Our red blood cells carry oxygen through our body and are critical for our lungs, muscles, and vital organs. Anaemia occurs when our body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells and our body cannot function properly. Hence, we feel tired. Your doctor will advise you the best way to treat low iron levels, but often over-the-counter iron supplements are recommended as well as eating red meats, leafy-greens and increasing your intake of vitamins like B and C.