Iron deficiency anaemia happens when your body does not have enough iron to make haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen around your body. Without enough of it, your organs and muscles get less oxygen than they need.

The result? You feel tired all the time. Not just a little tired. The kind of tired that does not improve with sleep. The kind that makes climbing a flight of stairs feel harder than it should, and concentrating at work feel like a real effort.

It is the most common nutritional deficiency in the UK, and women are affected far more than men. Menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth all deplete iron stores significantly. Yet many women are told their results are normal or borderline and sent away without treatment.

If you have been told your bloods are fine but you still feel exhausted, it is worth looking more closely. Iron levels should always be considered in the context of your symptoms, not just a number on a form.