The most common nutrient deficiency is low iron. It is especially common among women because iron is lost by menstrual bleeding and pregnancies. As a result, women are expected to have a lower hemoglobin, on average, than men. It has been estimated that 25% of women aged 18-50 have low iron. This causes fatigue, impaired…
Iron deficiency occurs in 25% of all women who have menstrual periods. It affects the whole body, because all the muscles of the body require iron to use energy. There is no way to know that your iron is low without testing the iron level (ferritin), but most women do not have their iron tested….
When I started Heme On Call, the country’s first telemedicine-based hematology practice, I sought to reform the way expert hematology advice was provided: online, from the comfort and safety of your home. Since 2020 we have grown to 50 staff, and we have seen 7,000 patients. Over time, I have realized that the most important…
Many women have heavy menstrual bleeding and don’t realize it. You may think it’s normal to have a lot of bleeding the first few days of their period. If you are changing your pads frequently, missing work, or avoiding activities due to heavy bleeding, then it’s too heavy. Over time, you may become tired because…
Reflecting on why he became a hematologist, Dr. Steven Fein explains he “has always wanted to make an impact.” During his training at Johns Hopkins Medical School, Duke, and University of Miami, he sought to identify public health problems that needed to be solved. As a hospital-based hematologist at Baptist Hospital of Miami, he first…
Most people who have weight loss (bariatric) surgery develop iron deficiency after a few years. This occurs because iron absorption is decreased or absent after having the surgery. It affects the whole body, because all the muscles of the body require iron to use energy. The only way to know whether your iron is low…
The disorder known as DVT (deep venous thrombosis) means having a blood clot in one of your legs. This disorder occurs without warning, resulting in swelling or discomfort of the affected leg. In some cases, a recent leg injury or surgery can be blamed, but most cases are “unprovoked.” The problem with DVT is that…
Many people have abnormal blood counts and do not realize it. When your doctor sends you for “routine” blood testing, it’s a way to screen for blood disorders. Some of these conditions do not cause symptoms, so they would go unrecognized without doing blood tests. Some, like immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), are considered benign, while others,…
Pregnancy is a magical time in a woman’s life, but it can also bring its fair share of challenges. Iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which the body lacks enough iron to generate red blood cells, is one of the most typical pregnancy problems. While traditional treatments for iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy can be…
Iron is required to synthesize hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. When there is a deficiency of iron in the body, the synthesis of red blood cells is hampered, resulting in anemia. Iron deficiency is a common nutritional disease in which your body lacks enough iron to generate…
