Melissa Gorga shared an update in it continued fight against anemiawhich she says is “the hardest” to deal with during the holidays.

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

“I take iron every day. I have to do regular blood tests and check everything, especially when 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 – whatever, they’re my favorite months – but they’re also the busiest,” Gorga said, adding that she makes sure she gets regular infusions when her iron is exhausted. too weak.

According to the Mayo Clinic“Anemia is a problem related to the lack of healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all other organs in the body. Anemia can cause fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath.

The infusions, Mayo Clinic said, are a way to “increase iron and hemoglobin levels in your body.”

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

“I’m always moving, I can feel myself when I’m tired and I know I just can’t keep going. And I’m like, “I think I need to call for some blood work because I’m feeling tired.” »And that’s not who I am.

“I can go from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. if I need to,” she tells PEOPLE. “And when I can’t do it, that’s when I know maybe it’s time. I don’t really feel fatigue. I’m just getting very cloudy. I’m very cloudy and just ready to go to bed at 8:30 p.m. And then I call my doctor and sometimes he says, “Yes, you’re right. » ”

“I’m very careful about that,” she said, adding that after hosting the two-hour holiday event, “I’ll make sure to eat steak tonight for dinner.”

The Mayo Clinic recommends “iron-rich foods” like beef and spinach to help prevent anemia from getting worse.

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