What are the common causes of iron deficiency anemia

There are different types of anemia, and iron deficiency anemia is one of them. There are many causes of this disease, such as insufficient iron intake, iron absorption disorder, excessive iron loss, etc. If it is due to physical reasons, it is recommended to seek medical treatment in time. If it is a nutrition problem, you can adjust your diet reasonably.

1. Increased iron requirements and insufficient iron intake

It is more common in infants, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women. Infants and young children need more iron. If they are not supplemented with complementary foods high in iron, such as eggs and meat, they are likely to suffer from iron deficiency. Teenagers with picky eating habits are prone to iron deficiency. Women's iron needs increase when they have heavier menstruation, are pregnant or breastfeeding. If they do not supplement with high-iron foods, they are likely to develop IDA.

2. Iron Absorption Impairment

It is common after subtotal gastrectomy, when gastric acid secretion is insufficient and food quickly enters the jejunum, bypassing the main site of iron absorption (duodenum), reducing iron absorption. In addition, gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by various reasons, such as long-term unexplained diarrhea, chronic enteritis, Crohn's disease, etc., can all lead to IDA due to iron absorption disorders.

3. Excessive iron loss

Chronic, long-term iron loss that is not corrected results in IDA. Such as: chronic gastrointestinal bleeding (including hemorrhoids, gastroduodenal ulcers, hiatal hernia, gastrointestinal polyps, gastrointestinal tumors, parasitic infections, esophageal/gastric varicose vein rupture, etc.), excessive menstrual flow (intrauterine contraceptive ring placement, uterine fibroids, menstrual disorders and other gynecological diseases), hemoptysis and alveolar hemorrhage (pulmonary hemosiderosis, Goodpasture-nephritis syndrome, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, etc.), hemoglobinuria (paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, cold antibody-type autoimmune hemolysis, artificial heart valves, march hemoglobinuria, etc.) and others (hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, chronic renal failure with hemodialysis, multiple blood donations, etc.).