Immune Function, Muscle Metabolism, and Neuronal Functioning - Essay Example

By considering their history, individuals suffering from iron deficiency can point out the time at which they started developing symptoms. The early signs include pagophagia and leg cramps when a patient tries to engage in a physically tasking activity (Beard, 2001). Fatigue and inability to carry out hard tasks are caused by insufficient oxygen circulation because of the depletion of proteins that are made up of iron. A deficiency of non-hemoglobin proteins has negative effects like muscle dysfunction, vulnerability to infections, and poor mental and physical performance.

Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by abnormalities in hemoglobin synthesis leading to small red blood cells that have had little hemoglobin.  The reduced hemoglobin negatively affects the cell's effectiveness in carrying oxygen to various body parts. According to Cook (2002), adolescents are highly predisposed to anemia because of body requirements to support rapid growth. Females lose an average of 20mg of iron every month during menstruation and thus require high iron content to maintain normal body functioning.

            Symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, dizziness, lethargy, shortness of breath, restless leg syndrome, brittle nails, blue sclera, pale conjunctivae, glossitis, and pica. Depending on its severity, iron deficiency has several consequences for patients. Decreased physical activity, diminishing endurance, abnormal temperature regulation, vulnerability to infections, compromised growth and development, increased lead and cadmium absorption hence a high probability of lead poisoning, pregnancy complications like premature birth, and growth retardation of the fetus.

            Although there is no specific test to indicate an iron deficiency in anemic patients, tests of iron status can be used to determine whether an individual has sufficient iron or not.  For instance, hemoglobin tests are used to determine the level of iron-containing protein in red blood cells. Hematrocit indicates the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. Thus, the use of the hemoglobin test is more direct and efficient in diagnosing iron deficiency in individuals. When the erythrocyte count is less than 2%, it shows that the blood has insufficient reticulocytes to enable the bone marrow to replace the worn-out hemoglobin hence leading to deficiencies. The presence of hypochromic microcytic red blood cells in a blood smear is an indication of a deficiency in hemoglobin synthesis (Beard, 2001).

            Shortness of breath can be attributed to a reduced oxygen supply to other body parts and the brain forcing it to release suffocation triggers.  Fatigue and pallor resulting from low hemoglobin and oxygen concentration in the body are the major causes of reduced energy levels and enthusiasm.  Aggravation of the symptoms during menses is because of iron imbalance because of bleeding and the body's inability to make a timely replacement. Menorrhagia and dysmenorrheal entail abnormally heavy menstruation that is accompanied by painful cramps. This can cause depletion of iron levels causing lightheadedness and headaches because of insufficient oxygen supply to the brain.

            Normal body function incorporates the recycling of iron to maintain a balance between loss and absorption. According to Wintrobe, Lukens &Lee (2003), during menstruation, a female losses 2.0 mg/d and this requires increased bold volume to maintain normal functioning of the body. In patients like Ms. A, iron stores are depleted because of blood loss over a prolonged period without replacement through absorption. The negative iron balance then triggers the symptoms and signs that are aggravated during menstruation.  A high reticulocyte count in anemia patients results from a higher rate of depletion of red blood cells. In Ms. A, 1.5% indicates loss of blood through menstruation and increased production to replace the lost red blood cells.