Symptoms and Signs

The signs an symptoms of IDA include:

• fatigue 
• weakness
• pale skin
• shortness of breath
• dizziness 
• tingling or crawling feeling in the legs tongue swelling or soreness 
• cold hands and feet 
• fast or irregular heartbeat 
• brittle nails 
• headaches 

Although most cases of Iron deficiency do not cause many complications, if untreated,  there are 3 major complications that can result

• Rapid or Irregular Heart Beat: Anemia causes the heart to beat faster because of a lack of oxygen. If left untreated, individuals can suffer from irregular heart beat, heart failure, or heat enlargement.
• Pregnancy Complication: IDA can cause premature birth of low birthweight, which drastically increases infant mortality rate. In order to counteract this, mothers ofter will take iron supplements during pregnancy.
• Delayed Growth in Infants and Children: IDA often affects the growth rate of  infants and children, both physically and cognitively. It also increases their likelihood of contracting infections. 

http://www.healthline.com/health/iron-deficiency-anemia#Treatment8

picture: http://intranet.tdmu.edu.ua/data/kafedra/internal/i_nurse/classes_stud/RN-BSN%20Program/Full%20time%20study/First%20year/professional%20nursing%20role%20transition%20practicum/26.%20Pr%20nursing%20care%20for%20Cl%20with%20RBC%20Dis.htm