Microcytic hypochromic anemia is a type of anemia whereby the red blood cells are smaller and paler than normal. Iron deficiency is by far the most common cause of this anemia. There are several underlying causes for iron deficiency.
Iron and Anemia
Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood. According to the Merck Manual, a healthy person loses about 1 mg of iron a day through loss of skin cells and loss of cells from the gastrointestinal tract. Iron is obtained from food, but its absorption is poor. The average American diet contains about 15 mg of dietary iron, of which roughly 1 mg is absorbed. This amount is sufficient to make up for the daily losses. Any increased loss, however, can quickly lead to a deficiency of iron.
Excessive Iron Loss
According to the Mayo Clinic, blood loss is the most common cause for anemia in western countries. In women of childbearing age, chronic blood loss through menstruation is so common a cause that when anemia is found, there is usually no need to look further for any other causes. In older women and in men, the most common source of blood loss is the gastrointestinal tract. The loss can be acute as from hematemesis, or the vomiting of blood. More commonly, the loss is chronic, and often goes unnoticed. Causes include peptic ulcers and colon cancer. Anemia in this population must be investigated since the underlying cause can be fatal.
Dietary Deficiency
Absorption of iron from is best from meat sources, and as the National Institutes of Health explains, it is not affected by other elements in the diet. Absorption from plant sources, such as rice, beans and wheat, is much lower and can be adversely affected by other components in the diet. Tea and calcium are examples of foods that inhibit absorption of iron from plant sources. As a result, a vegetarian diet puts people at greater risk for developing iron deficiency.
Increased Demand
Pregnant women and children during their growth spurts have an increased need for iron. If a pregnant woman were to continue her previous intake of iron, she would soon become deficient.
