Melissa Gorga becomes ‘very cloudy’ as her anemia flares up (Exclusive)

Melissa Gorga shared an update in her ongoing battle against anemiawhich she says is the “hardest” thing to manage around the holidays.

“Every day I can’t believe I’m as anemic as I am,” The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 45, told PEOPLE exclusively while hosting the annual lighting of Big Santa at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ

“I take iron every day. I have to have my blood drawn and checked regularly, especially if I start to feel exhausted. And this time of year is always the hardest, right? I always say November and December are the busiest months – my favorite months anyway – but they are also the busiest,” Gorga said, adding that she makes sure she gets a regular IV when she runs out of iron. too low.

According to the Mayo Clinic“Anemia is a problem in which there are not enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to all other organs in the body. Anemia can cause fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath.”

Infusions, the Mayo Clinic says, are a way to “increase iron and hemoglobin levels in your body.”

Gorga says the biggest sign that she’s starting to struggle for her is the “cloudy” feeling.

“I’m always on the road, I can feel it in myself when I’m tired and I know I just can’t keep going. And I’m like, ‘I think I need to get some blood work done because I feel like I’m getting tired.’ And it’s not who I am.”

“I can go from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. if I need to,” she tells PEOPLE. “And if that doesn’t work, I know maybe it’s time. I don’t really feel it tired. I just get really cloudy. It’s very cloudy and I’m just getting ready to go to bed at 7:30 p.m. And then I call my doctor and sometimes he says, “Yes, you’re on the right track.” “

“I’m very careful about it,” she said, adding that after organizing the two-hour holiday event, “I’m making sure I eat steak for dinner tonight.”

The Mayo Clinic recommends “iron-rich foods,” such as beef and spinach, to prevent anemia from worsening.

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