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(08) 6110 0570admin@pdchealthhub.com.auIron deficiency means your body has too little iron, with or without anaemia. Finding out why matters most: your GP orders iron studies, and our dietitians work on food and absorption.
Iron deficiency means the body has too little iron to make enough haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.1,2 It can be present without anaemia, and iron deficiency anaemia is the form where there is not enough iron to produce enough red blood cells.1,3 Symptoms are easy to dismiss: tiredness and weakness, breathlessness, dizziness, headaches, poor concentration and memory, pale skin, irritability, and performance dropping off at work, school or sport.1,3 Plenty of other conditions cause the same feelings.1
The cause has to be found, and that is medical work. Low intake matters, but so do higher needs in childhood, adolescence, menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding; poor absorption in coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and after stomach surgery; and blood loss from heavy periods, ulcers, polyps, anti-inflammatory medicines or cancer.1 Healthdirect advises seeing a doctor so the cause can be found, and your GP may order tests looking for unexpected blood loss, or refer you to a gastroenterologist or a gynaecologist.1
Food is where a dietitian helps. Haem iron from meat, poultry and fish is absorbed readily, while non-haem iron from legumes, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, eggs, leafy greens, wholegrains and fortified cereals is not absorbed as easily.2 Vitamin C rich food at the same meal improves absorption, while tea, coffee, wine and large amounts of calcium reduce it, so timing matters as much as the shopping list.1,2 Tablets, liquids and intravenous iron are prescriber decisions, and iron should only be taken under medical supervision.1,2
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Symptoms are a guide, not a diagnosis. Your GP confirms the diagnosis; our team helps you manage it day to day.
The teams and services that most often support people with this condition. They work from one shared plan, and one GP referral reaches all of them.
This page follows Australian guidance: healthdirect Australia's iron deficiency and anaemia information, and Dietitians Australia's advice on dietary iron.
Sometimes, and sometimes not. Diet is the right place for prevention and it supports any treatment, but if your iron is already low your GP decides whether you need tablets or an infusion. Iron should only be taken under medical supervision, because too much iron is harmful.
Because iron deficiency is a clue, not a diagnosis. Blood loss from the gut, heavy periods, coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease are all common reasons, and some of them need treatment of their own. Your GP may order tests looking for unexpected blood loss, or refer you to a gastroenterologist or gynaecologist.
Yes, and so do coffee, wine and large amounts of calcium, when they are taken at the same time as iron containing food. The fix is usually timing rather than giving them up. Having a vitamin C rich food with the same meal pulls absorption the other way.
Not necessarily. Plant foods supply non-haem iron, which is not absorbed as easily as the haem iron in meat, poultry and fish, and a balanced vegetarian diet usually covers needs. We make sure legumes, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and fortified cereals are doing enough work, and that timing is not undermining absorption.
Your GP or specialist. An infusion may be needed for severe deficiency, when tablets cause side effects, in inflammatory bowel disease, or in heart failure. We do not prescribe and we do not give infusions. We work on the food side and send our findings back to your doctor.
Tell us what is going on and we will point you to the right discipline, or to more than one. Most people start with a single appointment and leave with a plan the rest of the team can see.
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