Could anemia cause severe headache?

Hi, I have been treating anemia for three month now, and have not seen much progress. I have severe headaches. Could anemia cause severe headaches?

Anemia is decreased number of red blood cells or hemoglobin. This condition results in lower amount of oxygen reaching tissues, so the brain as well is hypooxigenated. Any lowering of oxygen level in the brain can cause a swelling of the arteries of the area, causing headaches. You may also feel tired, exhausted, have pale skin, a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, cognitive problems, numbness or coldness in your extremities. You have to be persistent in treating because it’s not easy to augment number of red blood cells, since absorption of iron remains the biggest challenge.

I have a similar problem, I started treating anemia for about 1-1/2 months now and haven't seen much progress at all.
My symptoms were: pale skin, random unexplainable vomiting, tiredness, fatigue, low on iron, hungry all the time, skinniness.
The doctor ordered me on some one a day iron pills called Ferrous Sulfate
and told me to eat red meat. Ive been doing so, and even started working out some. But all I have noticed is thicker veins and a bit more energy. But thats all.
I'm 14 and attend the 8th grade at a middle school and I always seem to be tired and out of energy. I'm also skinny and not very strong. Is there anything else I can do to prevent this and become stronger and have more energy? Mostly what Ive been doing is eating more frequently, taking the pills, and resting a bit more.

Thanks,
---Jason

I would try a liquid iron supplement too, I had a hard time absorbing the pills, they had me on slo fe, ask your doctor if they can recommend a liquid supplement, it's usually more easily absorbed by the body. Hope you start to feel better...and remember if you iron stores are low it may take up to 6 months before you are feeling 100% again. You have to replenish your body's stores. Also, have you been checked for B12 deficiency?

yeah im 16 years old and i think i have anemia. im a vegetarian so i dont eat red meat and i refuse to . i take iron tablets but they're not recommended by a doctor. my symptoms are - fatigue all the time, dizziness at random moments, fast heartbeat, bad head aches, low in energy, really skinny, loss in appetite. i want to fix the problem really badly because its affecting my school work as i cant concentrate. but i dont want to tell my mum. what should i do?

Dessicated liver pills are a much better way of increasing your iron intake. When I was anemic the first time, the naturopathic doctor told me I might as well put the pills up my nose, for all the good they'd do me. They simply don't have enough iron in them to do any good. And I've found that it's a chronic problem....I just think that I've got it under control, and it's back again....

Have you ever tried carao fruit syrup? I am also anemic and came across this website (anemiaanswer.com) that says carao fruit is used for anemia and is grown in Costa Rica. It supposedly builds the blood and raises hemoglobin levels. I am going to try it myself, I should be getting it in a week or so. I figured I would give it a shot since it's not that expensive and since the iron pills don't seem to be working well for me. You can do a search for carao fruit syrup and you should find it. Good luck and take care!!

Make sure you are getting the most out of your iron supplements:
1) Don't take them unless it was recommended by a doctor because having excess iron in the body is toxic. The body can not get rid of excess iron.
2) Be aware that iron is absorbed in the proximal part of the small intestine (the part closest to your stomach). The coating put on some iron supplements may not be digested away until after the tablet has passes through the part of the small intestine where iron could be absorbed, making them pretty much useless. So, if your doctor tells you to take iron supplements, you should buy ones that are NOT coated unless instructed otherwise.
3) Different iron supplements have different amounts of elemental iron in them, so check the box. Your body only absorbs s small percentage of the elemental iron you ingest, which means you are probably going to need iron supplementation for a long time. Ask your doctor which type of supplement you should buy (ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulfate) and how many times per day you should take it.
4) To maximize the amount of iron your body absorbs, try to take the supplements away from food, and with something acidic like orange juice.
5) Be patient! It takes a long time to rebuild the body's iron stores.
6) For the non vegetarian crowd, heme iron (found in red meat) is absorbed much more readily than elemental iron from supplements.
7) Make sure to keep those follow-up appointments with your doctor!