What are some of the symptoms of nutritional deficiencies?
There are many types of nutritional deficiencies, but the most common one include iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency. Additional symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Decreased exercise tolerance
- Thinning hair and brittle nails
- Muscle weakness and cramps
- Numbness, feeling of pins and needles
- Bone pain
- Mood changes
Some ways to mitigate nutritional deficiencies can be through treatment such as IV iron infusion.
What is IV iron infusion?
Intravenous (IV) iron infusion is a procedure of replacing iron into the body of someone who has insufficient iron stores directly through a cannula in the vein. It is a safe, rapid, and more effective way to treat iron deficiency and leads to an improvement or resolution of symptoms within days to weeks.
The procedure takes between 15 – 30 minutes either through injection into the vein or infusion with an IV drip, with a 20 – 30 minutes observation period after completion.
Who can benefit from such a treatment?
IV iron infusion is suitable for anyone who has been diagnosed with iron deficiency. Individuals who are most at risk for iron deficiency will be women with a history of heavy menses, pregnant women, vegans/vegetarians, those with problems with iron absorption, patients with cancer or other chronic diseases such as renal failure. It is found that approximately 1 in 3 women may be iron deficient, and many remain undiagnosed until a late stage.
What are the symptoms of iron deficiency?
Some of the symptoms include the ones aforementioned above, and more frequent mild infections can result in a cold or flu. More severe cases however, can result in anemia, or low hemoglobin levels in the red blood cells resulting in decreased exercise tolerance and shortness of breath. Some cases of iron deficiency can also lead to a symptom called pica, where patients may crave chewing or eating ice, soil, clay, or paper.
Are there any side effects to this treatment?
Generally side effects with this treatment are mild, even uncommon. Some patients may feel slightly flushed or warm at the start of the infusion, and may occasionally experience slight nausea as well. However, this is usually short-lived and resolves on its own. Other side effects include dizziness, headache, skin rashes, or skin staining, and stomach cramps. These are much less common but can be avoided with proper precautions and monitoring.
Speak to our doctors today! Nutritional Screening is available at all of our clinics, and IV Iron Infusion is currently available at our Holland Village clinic (with further branches coming soon)!
Please contact any of our branches or drop us an email at hello@dtapclinic.com.sg for an appointment.
