Understanding Iron Deficiency
What is Iron Deficiency?
Iron is an essential mineral required for producing haemoglobin — the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs throughout your entire body. When iron stores fall below what the body needs, haemoglobin production is impaired and oxygen delivery suffers. The result is a wide range of symptoms that many people attribute to stress, overwork, or simply "getting older" — often unaware that a blood test could identify a treatable underlying cause.
Thames Ditton and the surrounding KT7 area is an affluent, active community on the banks of the Thames in Surrey. Active lifestyles, busy family demands, and professional pressures can all mask the creeping onset of iron deficiency — making it easy to overlook until symptoms significantly affect quality of life. At Lambert Medical Practice, we see patients from across the KT7 area who have often spent months living with preventable symptoms.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
Persistent fatigueExhaustion that rest alone does not resolve — the most universal symptom of iron deficiency.
Brain fogPoor concentration, forgetfulness, and reduced mental sharpness.
BreathlessnessShortness of breath with everyday activity — particularly notable in otherwise fit, active people.
Hair thinningNoticeable shedding or thinning — frequently the symptom that prompts investigation.
Heart palpitationsThe heart working harder to maintain adequate oxygen delivery with low haemoglobin.
Cold hands and feetPoor peripheral circulation resulting from reduced red blood cell function.
Who is Most at Risk?
- Women with heavy periods — chronic blood loss depletes iron faster than diet replenishes it
- Vegans and vegetarians — plant-based iron is significantly less bioavailable than animal-source haem iron
- Post-surgical or post-partum patients — blood loss causes rapid iron depletion
- Athletes and very active individuals — high physical demands substantially increase iron requirements
- Those with IBD, coeliac disease, or gut surgery — gut conditions impair iron absorption substantially
Iron Deficiency vs Iron Deficiency Anaemia
Iron deficiency describes depleted iron stores — characterised by low ferritin — and can produce significant symptoms even when haemoglobin remains in the normal range. Iron deficiency anaemia is the more advanced state where haemoglobin has also fallen below normal. IV iron therapy can be appropriate in both situations. Dr Nelson reviews your full blood picture — ferritin, haemoglobin, and transferrin saturation — before recommending any treatment.
Why Oral Iron Tablets Often Fail
The body absorbs only around 10–20% of oral iron, and this falls further in those with gut inflammation or absorption conditions. Nausea, constipation, and stomach cramps cause many patients to stop their tablets within weeks. IV iron bypasses the gut entirely, delivering a full therapeutic dose directly into the bloodstream in a single clinical appointment — just a 12-minute drive from Thames Ditton.
