Iron deficiency anaemia is a common type of anaemia, a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues. As the name implies, iron deficiency anaemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (haemoglobin). As a result, iron deficiency anaemia may leave you tired and short of breath. Anaemia occurs when you have a decreased level of haemoglobin in your red blood cells (RBCs). Haemoglobin is the protein in your RBCs that is responsible for carrying oxygen to your tissues. Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common type of anaemia, and it occurs when your body doesn’t have enough of the mineral iron. Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin. When there isn’t enough iron in your blood stream, the rest of your body can’t get the amount of oxygen it needs.While the condition may be common, many people don’t know they have iron deficiency anaemia. It’s possible to experience the symptoms for years without ever knowing the cause.In women of childbearing age, the most common cause of iron deficiency anaemia is a loss of iron in the blood due to heavy menstruation or pregnancy. A poor diet or certain intestinal diseases that affect how the body absorbs iron can also cause iron deficiency anaemia. Doctors normally treat the condition with iron supplements or changes to diet. Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when your body doesn't have enough iron to produce haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that gives blood its red color and enables the red blood cells to carry oxygenated blood throughout your body.If you aren't consuming enough iron, or if you're losing too much iron, your body can't produce enough haemoglobin, and iron deficiency anaemia will eventually develop.

Causes of iron deficiency anemia include:

Blood loss-

 Blood contains iron within red blood cells. So if you lose blood, you lose some iron. Women with heavy periods are at risk of iron deficiency anemia because they lose blood during menstruation. Slow, chronic blood loss within the body such as from a peptic ulcer, a hiatal hernia, a colon polyp or colorectal cancer can cause iron deficiency anemia. Gastrointestinal bleeding can result from regular use of some over-the-counter pain relievers, especially aspirin.

Lack of iron in your diet-

 Your body regularly gets iron from the foods you eat. If you consume too little iron, over time your body can become iron deficient. Examples of iron-rich foods include meat, eggs, leafy green vegetables and iron-fortified foods. For proper growth and development, infants and children need iron from their diets, too.

An inability to absorb iron-

Iron from food is absorbed into your bloodstream in your small intestine. An intestinal disorder, such as celiac disease, which affects your intestine's ability to absorb nutrients from digested food, can lead to iron deficiency anemia. If part of your small intestine has been bypassed or removed surgically, that may affect your ability to absorb iron and other nutrients.

Pregnancy- Without iron supplementation, iron deficiency anaemia occurs in many pregnant women because their iron stores need to serve their own increased blood volume as well as be a source of haemoglobin for the growing foetus.

Risk factors:

These groups of people may have an increased risk of iron deficiency anemia:

Women-Because women lose blood during menstruation, women in general are at greater risk of iron deficiency anaemia.

Infants and children- Infants, especially those who were low birth weight or born prematurely, who don't get enough iron from breast milk or formula may be at risk of iron deficiency. Children need extra iron during growth spurts. If your child isn't eating a healthy, varied diet, he or she may be at risk of anaemia.

Vegetarians- People who don't eat meat may have a greater risk of iron deficiency anemia if they don't eat other iron-rich foods.

Frequent blood donors- People who routinely donate blood may have an increased risk of iron deficiency anemia since blood donation can deplete iron stores. Low hemoglobin related to blood donation may be a temporary problem remedied by eating more iron-rich foods. If you're told that you can't donate blood because of low hemoglobin, ask your doctor whether you should be concerned.

Authors can Submit manuscript online: https://www.imedpub.com/submissions/womens-health-reproductive-medicine.html

John Kimberly

Managing Editor

Journal of Womens Health and Reproductive Medicine