During my days at the clinic, I met a patient who was very pale. She was weak and looked as if she did not have a decent meal in weeks. She was wearing a beautiful and heavily-embroidered shirt, so I deduced that money was not the reason.

Was it anorexia?

She did not have anorexia. She said that she really tried to eat but simply could not. Her food gets stuck in her throat and it is very hard for her to swallow.

Was it goiter?

Nope, she did not have any thyroid problems.

It was Iron Deficiency!

Okay, so, that day in the clinic, I saw my teacher handle her very carefully. The 20-something girl said that she had a heavy flow. This meant that she had anemia. My teacher asked if she took iron-rich foods like spinach or fish, and iron supplements. She said that she did not.

The reason why she could not swallow was because she had Plummer Vinson Syndrome. The esophagus (food pipe) can get slightly blocked by webs of tissue inside and this can obstruct normal swallowing. This occurs as a consequence of iron deficiency, especially common in women.

She could not eat because of iron deficiency, and not eating made her iron deficiency worse.

The doctor prescribed her iron supplements and she returned for a follow-up after some time to say that she could now easily swallow her food.

Success!