Sunday, January 15, 2012

Does Anaemia Translate to Alopecia?

Nutritional deficiencies may be the cause of some cases of hair loss so if your hair is thinning or excessively shedding, you may be lacking in essential vitamins.
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Are you anaemic?

If you are not yet middle-aged and are struggling with hair loss, it may be due to anaemia. Other signs of anaemia are the following:

• Tiredness
• Lack of energy
• Headaches
• Breathlessness
• Palpitations
• Paling of skin
• Flaking skin around the nails
• Mouth ulcers

Several studies have examined the relationship between iron deficiency and hair loss. Almost all have addressed women exclusively and have focused on non-cicatricial hair loss. Some suggest that iron deficiency may be related to alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and diffuse hair loss, while others do not. Several hair clinics screen male and female patients with both cicatricial and non-cicatricial hair loss for iron deficiency. Although this practice is not evidence based per se, we believe that treatment for hair loss is enhanced when iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, is treated. Iron deficiency anaemia should be treated.

So science has not really established whether there is a relationship between iron deficiency and hair loss, but some research suggest that there is. If you have hair loss and any of the other symptoms, see your doctor for a blood test to check for anaemia. If you are anaemic, a course of iron tablets may be enough to assist hair re-growth.

Food sources that contain iron include leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts, dried fruits, fortified breakfast cereals, oatmeal and meat. Make sure your weekly menu contains some of these types of foods in order to avoid anaemia. Reducing your caffeine intake can also improve your iron levels as caffeine inhibits your body’s ability to absorb iron.

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