According to the 2016 Medibank Better Health index, more than one million Australians are deficient in iron, and that number appears to be on the rise.
Iron deficiency and anaemia are most common among young women aged 18-30, but if you’re pregnant, menopausal or have a poor diet, you’re at greater risk of suffering from low iron.
LISTEN: Mia Freedman, Monique Bowley and I offer our weekly recommendations on Mamamia Out Loud. This is mine. Post continues below.
Symptoms, in some cases, can be debilitating.
They include;
- Fatigue
- Cold hands and feet
- Brittle nails
- ‘Pica’ – strange cravings for items that are not food, like dirt or ice
- Weakness
- Pale skin
- Shortness of breath
- Irregular heartbeat
- Tingling feeling in the legs or cramps
- Sore tongue or swelling
- Headaches
- Difficulty sleeping
- Leg cramps
- Difficulty concentrating
As tempting as it may be to self-diagnose, when it comes to iron deficiency or anaemia, it’s really important that you don’t. Taking iron supplements when you don’t need them is dangerous.
But actually getting to the doctor can be a deterrent for a lot of women. It can be difficult to find somewhere that bulk bills, you might have to make an appointment during work hours, and even still, you’ll end up spending some time sitting in a waiting room. The needle itself is enough to make many of us dismiss any possible symptoms.
But not anymore.
Recently, I was in a chemist waiting to have a script filled, and saw a sign up on the counter.
"Iron testing. Less than two minutes. $5."
No.
I inquired and my eyes had not deceived me. You can get an iron test with a finger prick.
No scary needle. No weird arm strap. No deep breaths. No waiting room. No referral to a pathologist.
Bam. An entirely painless prick of the finger that gets you your results instantly.
You can listen to the full episode of Mamamia Out Loud, here.
I got mine done at Priceline Pharmacy, and I was low in iron but not anaemic. I walked out with iron supplements, all in less than five minutes.
There are a number of pharmacies throughout Australia that offer this service, including Chemistworks, McCabe's Pharmacy, Capital Chemist, Stirling Village Pharmacy and of course Priceline. There are also many independent chemists that offer it. Just give them a call and ask if they offer an iron test.
An over the counter test won't be sufficient for anyone suffering from a long term health condition, or anyone who needs comprehensive blood work, but it's a good start.
And it's about time Australian women started prioritising their health, even if it's a two minute finger prick at the chemist.
Top Comments
As far as I can make out, chemists no longer offer this service - they seem to have bowed to pressure from path labs and the AMA , because they were losing out on $$$.
A chemist might charge $10 whereas a path lab and doctor (after referral) will cost $200.
Like one of the other commentators here I have a hereditary disease called haemocromatosis which is an iron overload disorder.
Prior to my diagnosis, additional iron supplements were recommended to me by the pharmacist when I was buying elevit. I was pregnant with my first child at the time and the results of those supplements could have been fatal for both my unborn child and myself as my iron levels at that point were already high.
The scary part is although many people are completely unaware of it (myself included at one point) it is quite common with 1 in 12 Australians being carriers of the gene.
Several years later and three pregnancies in the space of 5 years my iron levels are very low and a superficial blood prick test would suggest I need to take a supplement but again because of my condition taking a supplement would actually be very harmful.
Moral of the story if something isn't right make the time to visit a GP and get proper blood tests done.