28/06/2025
"I thought I was just lazy… but it turns out, my blood was starving for oxygen."
A young woman in her late twenties walks into our clinic. She’s been struggling to get out of bed, always tired, breathless after climbing stairs, and lately, her hair’s been thinning. She jokes, “Maybe I’m just unfit or burnt out.”
But here’s what might actually be happening:
Her body doesn’t have enough iron the mineral needed to make haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Without enough iron, her blood becomes like a delivery van running on empty it simply can’t carry enough oxygen to her muscles, brain, or organs.
That’s why she’s exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep. That’s why she feels out of breath doing normal tasks. And that’s why her body is showing signs like brittle nails, pale skin, or hair loss it's literally redirecting its limited resources to the most essential systems.
The causes? Heavy periods, poor diet, gut conditions, or even chronic blood loss that’s not obvious.
🔬 Iron deficiency anaemia is treatable but only if it’s picked up early. A simple blood test can make all the difference.
