Folic Acid Deficiency Anemia: Symptoms

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Symptoms

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Mild folic acid deficiency anemia may not produce any symptoms. As folic acid deficiency progresses, the following common symptoms of anemia may develop:

Weakness
Fatigue
Lightheadedness
Forgetfulness
Irritability
Pale appearance (pallor)
Lack of appetite and weight loss
Difficulty concentrating or focusing attention

Less common symptoms include:

Diarrhea.
Abdominal pain.
Sore, smooth tongue.
Cracked lips, especially at the corners of the mouth.
Shortness of breath with exertion.
Rapid or irregular heart rate.
Chest pain.

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Last updated:	March 02, 2007
Author:	Ralph Poore
Reviewed By:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC

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