Dark circles usually mean you are extremely tired and have not slept for days. However, doctors say they are also a sign of something hidden underlying conditions. When the iron levels in your blood are low, when your body is unable to produce a substance in red blood cells that lets them carry oxygen, it leads to anaemia, which leaves you not just fatigued but can also cause heart issues and even breathlessness.
Across the world, nearly 25 per cent of people suffer from anaemia, which can affect their lives in many ways. Some types of this condition lead to mild symptoms that ease with treatment. However, a few other types can be extremely serious, like some that people inherit that cause lifelong medical issues. Severe anaemia can also be life-threatening.
Doctors say dark circles under your eyes, frequent hair fall and breakage, and brittle nails are not just signs of too many late nights, but serious health problems, such as low iron. Due to iron deficiency, the skin around your eyes, which is the thinnest all over your body, is more visible here, causing the skin around your eyes to appear darker.
Doctors say your body prioritises iron for essential functions, and so when the stores are low, non-vital areas like hair and nails often show the first telltale signs of deficiency. Apart from fatigue and dark circles under your eyes, a few other symptoms of anaemia include:
- Severe fatigue
- Chest pain and severe breathlessness
- Dizziness
- Frequent infections
- Heart palpitations
- Recurrent and severe headaches
- Pulsatile tinnitus
