blood disorders
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Introduction
Iron deficiency anemia results from low or depleted stores of iron, which is needed to produce red blood cells. Excessive bleeding is the most common cause. People may be weak, short of breath, and pale. Blood tests can detect low levels of iron. Iron supplements are used to restore iron levels. (See also Overview of Anemia .) Iron deficiency anemia usually develops slowly because it may take several months for the body’s iron reserves to be used up. As the iron reserves are decreasing, the bone marrow gradually produces fewer red blood cells. When the reserves are depleted, the red blood cells are not only fewer in number but also abnormally small. Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anemia, and blood loss is the most common cause of iron deficiency in adults. In men and postmenopausal women, iron deficiency usually indicates bleeding in the digestive tract. In premenopausal women, menstrual bleeding is the most common cause of iron deficiency. Iron Deficiency may also result from too little iron in the diet during times of increased iron requirements such as in infants, young children, adolescent girls, and pregnant women. Decreased iron absorption in the digestive tract, called In the United States, anemia rarely results from consuming too little iron because supplemental iron is added to many foods. 