Iron-Deficiency Anemia - Causes - Causes

When you lose blood, you lose iron. Certain conditions or medicines can cause blood loss and lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Common causes of blood loss that lead to iron-deficiency anemia include:

• Bleeding in your GI tract, from an ulcer, colon cancer, or regular use of medicines such as aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen and naproxen
• Certain rare genetic conditions such as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, which causes bleeding in the bowels
• Frequent blood donation
• Frequent blood tests, especially in infants and small children
• Heavy menstrual periods
• Injury or surgery
• Urinary tract bleeding

Iron-deficiency anemia can be caused by getting less than the recommended daily amounts of iron. The recommended daily amounts of iron will depend on your age, sex, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Even if you consume the recommended daily amount of iron, your body may not be able to absorb the iron. Certain conditions or medicines can decrease your body’s ability to absorb iron and lead to iron-deficiency anemia. These conditions include:

• Intestinal and digestive conditions, such as celiac disease; inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease; and Helicobacter pylori infection.
• A history of gastrointestinal surgery, such as weight-loss surgery—especially gastric bypass—or gastrectomy.
• Certain rare genetic conditions, such as a TMRPSS6 gene mutations that causes a person’s body to make too much of a hormone called hepcidin. Hepcidin blocks the intestine from taking up iron.

Other medical conditions that may lead to iron-deficiency anemia include:

• End-stage kidney failure, where there is blood loss during dialysis. People who have chronic kidney disease also often take other medicines—such as proton pump inhibitors, anticoagulants, or blood thinners—that may cause iron-deficiency anemia. Proton pump inhibitors interfere with iron absorption, and blood thinners increase the likelihood of bleeding in the GI tract.
• Inflammation from congestive heart failure or obesity. These chronic conditions can lead to inflammation that may cause iron-deficiency anemia.

Are you curious about how inflammation from chronic diseases can cause iron-deficiency anemia?

• Treatment will discuss medicines and eating pattern changes that your doctors may recommend if you are diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia.