Nutrition, iron
Heavy periods quietly run your iron down
Exhaustion, breathlessness on the stairs, a strange urge to chew ice. Why heavy bleeding and low iron travel together, and what to do about it.
Reviewed against NICE Guidelines, 1 min read, published
If you flood through protection, pass large clots, or plan your week around your period, that counts as heavy bleeding — and heavy bleeding is the most common reason for low iron in women.
The signs of low iron
Low iron is easy to mistake for ordinary tiredness. The giveaways are:
- Breathlessness climbing stairs you used to manage
- A pounding heart
- Headaches
- A craving to crunch ice
Carry out a full blood count test for all women with HMB, in parallel with any HMB treatment offered.
What to eat
Food helps: red meat, pulses, tofu, dark leafy greens, fortified cereals, and something with vitamin C alongside them, since it helps you absorb the iron from plants.
Quick summary
- Heavy bleeding: flooding, large clots, or planning your week around your period
- Low iron signs: breathlessness, a pounding heart, headaches, craving ice
- Food: iron-rich foods, with vitamin C alongside plant sources
- Next step: a blood test, then treat both the deficit and the bleeding
