7 Weird Signs of Iron Deficiency
Spoon-shaped nails and a swollen, smooth tongue are two odd signs of an iron deficiency.
Updated on August 20, 2024
An iron deficiency quite simply means you don’t have enough iron in your body. Iron is an important mineral that your body needs to grow and develop. Without iron, you can’t produce enough hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps deliver oxygen to your tissues.
An iron deficiency can lead to anemia, which is a blood disorder that happens when red blood cells shrink and contain less hemoglobin. Most people get enough iron, but some have a higher risk of an iron deficiency, including:
- Women who have heavy periods
- Pregnant women
- People with a poor diet
- People who donate blood a lot
- Babies
- People with cancer, heart failure, or gastrointestinal disorders
While fatigue, paleness, and headaches are common signs of an iron deficiency, there are also some unusual symptoms to watch out for. Here are seven weird signs of an iron deficiency.
1. Tongue Changes
When iron levels are low, the tongue may become swollen, painful, smooth, and red — a condition called glossitis. Low iron levels can affect the health of your muscles, including your tongue. Your doctor or dentist can recommend oral medications or supplements to help treat a swollen tongue.
2. Swelling, Soreness, or Dryness Around the Mouth
Anemia symptoms can manifest in your mouth. You may develop:
- Dry mouth
- Mouth ulcers
- Burning in your mouth
- Sores or redness at the corners of your mouth
Inflammation and cracking on the corners of your mouth is called angular cheilitis and can affect people with an iron deficiency. Topical medicines and ointments can help temporarily ease the discomfort, and dietary changes and iron supplements may get rid of your symptoms altogether.
Talk to your doctor if you develop these oral symptoms.
3. Blue in the Whites of Your Eyes
A bluish tint in the whites of your eyes, which doctors call “blue sclera,” may be a sign of iron deficiency. With blue sclera, the white part of your eye may appear blue, gray, or purplish. Experts think the blue hue appears because the fibers in the white part of the eye allow the uvea — the middle layer of the eye — and blood vessels show through.
4. Spoon-Shaped Nails
An iron deficiency can cause your nails to dip in the middle and appear indented. This spoon-shaped appearance is known as koilonychia. Most of the time, this symptom can be reversed with iron supplements.
5. Restless Legs
Low levels of iron in the brain can trigger restless legs syndrome (RLS), which causes involuntary and uncomfortable sensations that make you want to move your legs. Researchers believe low levels of iron can lead to a drop in the brain chemical dopamine, which prompts RLS symptoms. To test for low iron levels in the brain, you may need a special type of blood test that measures ferritin, the main type of stored iron in the brain. It’s possible to have normal blood levels of iron and low brain levels of iron.
6. Memory Problems
Trouble remembering things, difficulty concentrating, or “brain fog” could all signal an iron deficiency. Some research has even suggested that having anemia is linked to a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Decreased oxygen to the brain could be to blame for the problems with memory and thinking.
7. Ringing in Your Ears
Ringing in the ears, which is called tinnitus, affects some people with anemia. The ringing happens because your heart has to work harder to pump blood. Your sensitive ears can pick up the sounds as blood flows through nearby arteries. You might also hear other sounds, like a whooshing noise, buzzing, or a pulsing heartbeat.
This symptom could also be a sign of a serious heart condition, so you should report it to your doctor right away.
The Takeaway
Common symptoms of an iron deficiency include fatigue and pale skin. But more unusual signs, such as a bluish tint in the whites of the eyes, can also indicate low iron. It’s important to know the signs of iron deficiency and to seek treatment if you suspect your levels are low. Without adequate iron, the body is unable to produce enough hemoglobin in red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body, leaving the body unable to function properly.
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Resources
- Iron. National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. August 17, 2023.
- Wu Y et al. Oral Manifestations and Blood Profile in Patients With Iron Deficiency Anemia. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association. February 2014.
- Glossitis. Cleveland Clinic. August 9, 2022.
- Ayesh MH. Angular Cheilitis Induced by Iron Deficiency Anemia. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. August 2018.
- Angular Cheilitis. Cleveland Clinic. June 15, 2021.
- Blue Sclera. Cleveland Clinic. February 19, 2023.
- Rathod DG et al. Spoon Nails. StatPearls. August 8, 2023.
- Restless Legs Syndrome. NHS. March 23, 2022.
- Are You Missing This Simple Treatment for Restless Legs? Harvard Health Publishing. July 1, 2024.
- Anemia Tied to Mild Cognitive Impairment Risk. The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. August 14, 2017.
- Gattas BS et al. The Impact of Low Hemoglobin Levels on Cognitive Brain Functions. Cureus. November 2020.
- Pulsatile Tinnitus. Cleveland Clinic. June 27, 2022.