Iron—Anemia

Also called: Iron poor blood

If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction.

Conditions that may lead to anemia include

• Heavy periods
• Pregnancy
• Ulcers
• Colon polyps or colon cancer
• Inherited disorders
• A diet that does not have enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B12
• Blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, or cancer
• Aplastic anemia, a condition that can be inherited or acquired
• G6PD deficiency, a metabolic disorder

Anemia can make you feel tired, cold, dizzy, and irritable. You may be short of breath or have a headache.

Your doctor will diagnose anemia with a physical exam and blood tests. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

• Anemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Anemia – B12 deficiency (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Anemia caused by low iron — infants and toddlers (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Anemia of chronic disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Anemia of Inflammation and Chronic Disease – NIH
• Febrile/cold agglutinins (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Ferritin blood test (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Hemolytic anemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Iron deficiency anemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pernicious anemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Vitamin B12 level (Medical Encyclopedia)

Iron is a mineral that our bodies need for many functions. For example, iron is part of hemoglobin, a protein which carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. It helps our muscles store and use oxygen. Iron is also part of many other proteins and enzymes.

Your body needs the right amount of iron. If you have too little iron, you may develop iron deficiency anemia. Causes of low iron levels include blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods. People at higher risk of having too little iron are young children and women who are pregnant or have periods.

Too much iron can damage your body. Taking too many iron supplements can cause iron poisoning. Some people have an inherited disease called hemochromatosis. It causes too much iron to build up in the body.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Anemia caused by low iron — infants and toddlers (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Ferritin blood test (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Iron deficiency anemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Iron in diet (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Serum iron test (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Taking iron supplements (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Total iron binding capacity (Medical Encyclopedia)