Recently the Hubster and I had our annual Health Risk Assessment that his company provides. Our plan is the “Blueprint for Wellness” by Quest Diagnostics, and it did just that laid out a COMPLETE blueprint to our health from the inside out.
The prep was like going into surgery we had to fast for 12 hours prior to the exam. When we arrived the morning of we got weighed in, height checked, blood pressure taken and concluded with our blood work. Now the wait begins…
There is nothing like the anxiety that comes from waiting on your results for any test let alone a health screening…with bitten nails, a week later I got my test results. Quest Diagnostic provides a VERY thorough analysis, 28 pages to be exact, and they grade it on the same grading scale we all grew up on!
Okay okay enough stalling I got a 90.95 out of 100 not bad right?!?!? Well in my case not so bad (whip sweat from brow), but I didn’t score a 100 so that means even I have work to do. I’ll spare you the boring things I scored well on and get right to the things I need to correct. I have a iron deficiency also known as iron deficiency anemia attached is the Mayo Clinics definition of iron deficiency anemia and symptoms:
Definition:
Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
As the name implies, iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can’t produce enough hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen. As a result, iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired and short of breath.
You can usually correct iron deficiency anemia with iron supplementation. Sometimes, additional treatments for iron deficiency anemia are necessary, especially if you’re bleeding internally.
Symptoms:
Initially, iron deficiency anemia can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. But as the body becomes more deficient in iron and anemia worsens, the signs and symptoms intensify.
Iron deficiency anemia symptoms may include:
Extreme fatigue
Pale skin
Weakness
Shortness of breath
Headache
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Cold hands and feet
Irritability
Inflammation or soreness of your tongue
Brittle nails
Fast heartbeat
Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or starch
Poor appetite, especially in infants and children with iron deficiency anemia
An uncomfortable tingling or crawling feeling in your legs (restless legs syndrome)
When to see a doctor
If you or your child develops signs and symptoms that suggest iron deficiency anemia, see your doctor. Iron deficiency anemia isn’t something to self-diagnose or treat. So see your doctor for a diagnosis, rather than taking iron supplements on your own. Overloading the body with iron can be dangerous because excess iron accumulation can damage your liver and cause other complications
Now I have a milder case of iron deficiency anemia so I opted to do a holistic approach to my treatment…please note I am not a physician but I did consult one on my new holistic diet to correct my iron deficiency anemia. To find out what I am doing to correct my deficiency from a holistic approach check out more at www.theMariaAntoinette.com.
I wrote this to stress the importance of a health plan, it had been many years since I last had a physical (primary doctor) check up or anything minus my annual Woman’s Wellness check up. We as women know the importance of the Woman Wellness check up, I challenge you to add your blood work to your annual must do for health and wellness. This is something I will teach my children because knowing is majority of the battle!
To a healthier you,
~ Maria Antoinette ~
