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 to every cell in your body. When iron stores fall too low, haemoglobin production is impaired and oxygen delivery is compromised throughout the body. Many people live with the symptoms of iron deficiency for months or even years before the cause is identified — often attributing their fatigue, brain fog, and breathlessness to a busy lifestyle or stress.
Weybridge is one of Surrey's most affluent communities — home to many families, professionals, and highly active individuals who place considerable demands on their bodies. This active lifestyle can mask the onset of iron deficiency, while also increasing iron requirements. At Lambert Medical Practice, we regularly help patients from across the Surrey commuter belt including Weybridge and the broader KT13 area who are looking for prompt, clinically credentialled private care close to home.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
Persistent fatigueExhaustion that rest alone does not resolve — the most universal symptom of iron deficiency.
Brain fogDifficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and reduced mental sharpness.
BreathlessnessShortness of breath with everyday activity — particularly notable in otherwise fit, active individuals.
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 alone can replenish 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 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, well before iron stores are restored. IV iron bypasses the gut entirely, delivering a full therapeutic dose directly into the bloodstream in a single clinical appointment — a 20-minute drive from Weybridge, with free parking outside the clinic.
