(Image source from: Are you iron deficient?})

Have you started resembling a 'Twilight' extra lately? Have you been experiencing shortness of breath, pain in the chest and cold hands and feet? Do you find it a slog to even lift a spoon these days? If the answers to these are a positive 'ye', then beware, you could be well on your way to developing anemia, or worse, you are an anemic already. Iron deficiency is one of the most common banes that we women have to endure. And the complications of having low iron count is worse. The only way to battle these health blues is early detection and then going all the way ti pump up the iron count in the body through iron-rich diet and ingesting iron supplements. We help you figure out if you are iron deficient at all.

Fatigue
Human body bets big time on iron to make hemoglobin, a molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body. In case of iron deficiency, the hemoglobin levels plummet, causing exhaustion.

Difficulty Focusing
Iron deficiency can alter neurotransmitter synthesis, causing lower-than-normal functionality and distraction.

Apathy
Another upshot of iron deficiency - apathy toward friends, family, work, anything and everything.

Breathlessness
When there is not enough iron in the blood, the body gets starved for oxygen, causing breathlessness.

Unusually Pale Skin
Watch out for an washed-out appearance. You could be having decreased number of red blood cells.

Crazy-Sore Muscles
Having to drag yourself to the gym, office or even out of the bed could be another tell-tale sign of iron deficiency. Drop in iron count deprives muscles of their ability to recover properly, leading to pain.

Frequent Infections
If you are falling sick frequently, especially from respiratory illnesses, iron deficiency could be to blame.

Pink or Red Urine
People with an iron deficiency often pass pink or red urine. So in case you haven't been munching much on beet, your low iron count is to be blamed for your tinted urine.

AW: Suchorita Choudhury