Every doctor that has ever seen me has either run my hemoglobin (mostly a finger prick, or CBC) or said, "You look anemic, you should suppliment with iron."
First let me say that you should not suppliment with iron unless directed by your doctor after you have found a deficiency ! Iron poisoning is the most common cause of accidental poisoning in young children.
One doctor in particular that I saw who said that, I refuse to go back to! Iron can be some risky stuff to mess with, and should not be supplimented unless absolutely necessary. Try adding iron rich foods first, even taking black strap molasses, but save the suppliments as a last resort.
My Grandmother has a type of anemia called pernicious anemia where the body cannot absorb vitamin B12, also folate deficiency can cause anemia, but the doctors can find out which you need with a blood test. Iron is not a lone culprit.
For me, I have great hemoglobin! The lowest count was 13.5, if I remember correctly. And that's including the natural drops during pregnancy!
I can't actally find the numbers, but I have been told that the numbers they give are on a scale of roughly 10 to 16. Around 11 they say you are anemic and pushing 16 they may get a little concerned about too much iron. Again, I wasn't able to actually find that in writing, but a health professional told me when I asked what my number meant.
So, why the pale yellowy skin?
I like to tell people it's all genetics. You simply can't mix certain things and come out with pretty colors all the time! ;o) I know we have Italian, Danish, Irish, and either French or German, but what else is unknown to me. Grandpa just used to say he was 'Heinz 57', so maybe some tomato too? ;o)
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