Iron-deficiency anemia is a condition characterized by a lack of healthy red blood cells due to insufficient iron in the body. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, and approximately 20 percent of women, 50 percent of pregnant women and 3 percent of men have low iron levels, according to MedlinePlus.
Loss of Blood
Blood loss is the most common cause of iron-deficiency anemia in the United States and Western Europe, according to MayoClinic.com. Because most of the iron in your body is located on an iron-rich protein in your red blood cells, blood loss directly causes the loss of iron. Blood loss can occur in several different ways. Women with heavy or prolonged menstrual periods often experience enough blood loss to lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Severe blood loss from a trauma, injury or surgery can also result in iron-deficiency anemia. Iron-deficiency anemia may also develop over an extended period of time due to internal bleeding from stomach ulcers, colon polyps and certain types of cancers.
Malabsorption
When you eat iron, it travels through your gastrointestinal system until it reaches your small intestine. Most of the iron in your diet is absorbed in the small intestine, where it travels into your bloodstream. If you have a chronic disorder that affects the way your small intestine absorbs nutrients, you may develop iron-deficiency anemia. Common digestive disorders that affect proper absorption include celiac disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Iron-deficiency anemia may also develop as a result of certain medications, such as those for gastrointestinal reflux disease, that reduce the amount of stomach acid you produce. MayoClinic.com notes that stomach acid is essential for proper absorption of iron so decreasing its production decreases available iron as well. Surgical removal of all or part of the small intestine may also cause iron-deficiency anemia.
Inadequate Dietary Intake
The richest sources of dietary iron include meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Because the foods that have the most iron are animal-based, strict vegetarians and vegans are at the highest risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia from lack of dietary intake, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Strict vegetarians and vegans should take care to include vegetable sources of iron, such as spinach, beans and iron-fortified cereals.
Pregnancy
When a woman is pregnant, her body needs iron to create her own red blood cells as well as red blood cells for the fetus. Because of this, a pregnant woman has increased iron needs. If a pregnant woman does not meet her increased iron needs regularly, she may develop iron-deficiency anemia. It is usually necessary for a pregnant woman to take iron supplements or prenatal vitamins that contain significant amounts of iron.
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