Fatigued? Anxious? You Might Have An Iron Deficiency.

Iron deficiency is a commonly under-recognised health issue experienced by a significant portion of Australians. Iron deficiencies can result in significantly reduced energy levels, affecting your ability to go about routine tasks, sleep quality, and, in some cases, lead to serious health consequences if left unmanaged. Timely diagnosis and treatment, including iron infusions and supplementation can make a dramatic difference.

Iron deficiencies are commonly misdiagnosed for other conditions including anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. Affecting women more than men, one in five Australian women currently live with an iron disorder, and experience a variety of symptoms that range from mild to severe, and in some cases, suffer for years before receiving a correct diagnosis. Are you suffering with prolonged fatigue, frequent infections, and low energy? It may be time to check your iron levels.

What Does Iron Actually Do?

Iron is an essential mineral used to make haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. When iron levels are low, your body can’t function efficiently, affecting how your organs, muscles and brain function.

Iron plays several vital roles in keeping your body functioning well:

Oxygen transport: Iron is a key component of haemoglobin — the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to every part of your body. Without enough iron, your tissues receive less oxygen and you feel tired and weak.
Energy production: Your body uses iron to help create myoglobin, a protein that stores oxygen in muscles, and to support enzymes involved in energy metabolism.
Immune and cognitive function: Iron is important for a strong immune system and for proper memory, concentration, and mental clarity.

Your body cannot produce iron on its own, it must come from the food you eat or, when needed, from medical treatments such as iron infusions.

How the Body Gets Iron

Every day, we lose small amounts of iron through skin shedding, sweat, urine, and, in people who menstruate, menstrual blood loss. To keep up with this loss and meet the body’s needs, iron has to be absorbed from dietary sources. There are two different kinds of iron found in food:

Heme iron: Found in animal products like red meat, poultry and fish. This form is absorbed more efficiently.
Non-heme iron: Found in plant-based foods like leafy greens, beans and fortified cereals. This form is less well absorbed.

Certain factors can also reduce iron absorption. Conditions affecting your gut (like coeliac disease), previous stomach surgery, or consuming foods or drinks high in calcium, tea or coffee at mealtimes can hinder your body from absorbing iron efficiently.

What Causes An Iron Deficiency

An iron deficiency occurs when your body doesn’t have enough iron to meet its needs, and usually develops gradually. At first, your iron stores (measured by a blood test called ferritin) become depleted. At this stage, you may already experience symptoms such as fatigue, poor concentration or reduced exercise tolerance, even if your haemoglobin level is still normal. If iron levels continue to fall, this can progress to iron deficiency anaemia, where the number or quality of red blood cells is reduced.

Common causes of iron deficiency include:

Blood loss: Resulting from heavy menstrual periods, gastrointestinal bleeding, or frequent blood donation
Inadequate dietary intake: People who eat little red meat or follow restrictive diets
Poor absorption: Due to conditions like coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or previous stomach or bowel surgery
Increased iron requirements: Such as during pregnancy, adolescence, or periods of rapid growth.

Because the symptoms of iron deficiency can be vague and overlap with many other conditions, it’s important not to self-diagnose. A doctor can confirm iron deficiency with blood tests and investigate the underlying cause, ensuring appropriate treatment; whether dietary changes, oral iron supplements, or more intensive treatments such as an iron infusion.

Common Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency often starts with subtle signs that can easily be ignored or attributed to stress or general fatigue. These include:

Persistent tiredness, weakness or low energy
Shortness of breath or dizziness
Pale skin and cold hands or feet
Difficulty concentrating, memory problems
Reduced exercise tolerance
Unusual cravings (like chewing ice)
Decreased libido
Frequent infections due to lowered immunity

Left untreated, iron deficiency can progress to iron deficiency anaemia, where the body doesn’t have enough haemoglobin to carry sufficient oxygen. This worsens symptoms and can have further impacts that can affect heart or cognitive function.

Who Is at Risk For An Iron Deficiency?

Some people have higher iron needs or are more likely to lose iron:

Women of reproductive age: Especially those with heavy menstrual bleeding, are among the most affected groups. Around 22.3% of women in Australia have depleted iron stores.
Pregnant women: During pregnancy, iron needs rise significantly, with many studies showing high rates of anaemia during pregnancy.
Children and adolescents: Particularly infants aged 6–24 months and school-age children. Iron deficiency anaemia is very common in Indigenous Australian infants, estimates suggest up to 90% of Aboriginal children aged 6–24 months are affected.
Regular blood donors
Athletes
People with restrictive diets: Such as vegetarians and vegans and those with certain chronic conditions may also struggle to maintain adequate iron.
Older adults: Especially those in institutional care, may be at increased risk too.

When to See a Doctor

It’s important to talk to a doctor rather than self-diagnosing, or simply taking over-the-counter supplements. Ongoing fatigue or simply a feeling that ‘something isn’t right’ should not be put on the back-burner. If you have ongoing low energy, or feel your body is not at it’s best, it’s time to book a check-up with your GP for an Iron Deficiency Consult. In this appointment, your GP will:

Review your symptoms and medical history
Perform blood tests (including ferritin and haemoglobin) to assess iron levels
Check for underlying causes, such as bleeding, absorption issues or dietary gaps

Correct diagnosis is essential. Taking iron supplements when they aren’t needed can cause other problems. Not all supplements are made equal, and some low-dose iron “supplement” products available in Australia have been found to contain little more iron than a slice of bread.

What Is an Iron Infusion?

An iron infusion is a medical treatment in which iron is delivered directly into the bloodstream through a vein over a set period of time. This bypasses the digestive system, which means:

Faster replenishment of iron stores
Useful for people who can’t absorb oral iron or can’t tolerate it
Ideal for more severe deficiency or anaemia

At The Banyans Medical Centre, an iron infusion typically takes around 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the type and dose of iron used. You can relax in a treatment chair in our purpose-designed treatment bay with minimal discomfort, while being monitored by Minor Procedure specialist clinician, Dr Nerissa Naidoo.

How Long Until You Feel Better?

Some people notice improvements in energy and well-being within a few days to a couple of weeks after an infusion — but full recovery of iron stores can take longer, depending on how low they were and other health factors. Most patients begin to feel a reduction in fatigue and greater energy within 1–4 weeks, with continued improvement thereafter.

Iron is essential to deliver oxygen, support energy, and help your immune system and brain function well. Iron deficiency is common in Australia, especially among women, children and certain vulnerable groups, but is often overlooked.

Recognising the symptoms, getting thorough testing, and talking with a doctor about the why behind low iron is key to addressing your symptoms effectively and better understand your body.

If you’re feeling constantly tired, struggling to get through the day, or have symptoms that don’t seem to make sense, don’t ignore them. A simple visit to your GP could be the first step toward feeling like you again.

Recognise some of the above symptoms? Book an Iron Deficiency Consult today with Dr Nerissa Naidoo.