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Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Next in Iron Deficiency Anemia Guide
Anemia is diagnosed based on a blood test, which may show small-sized red blood cells (RBCs) and possibly a decreased concentration of RBCs. The distinctive change in RBC structure is described asmicrocytic anemia.
Treatments for iron deficiency anemia include dietary modification,iron supplements, Injectafer treatments, orblood transfusion. Because some health problems can lead to iron deficiency anemia, treatment for the underlying problem is often necessary, too.
Julie Bang / Verywell
Typically, iron deficiency anemia causes nonspecific and vague symptoms, making it hard to recognize. Depending on the cause, it can develop gradually, with effects worsening over time.
Common symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include:
Unexplained fatigue
You can experience all or some of these symptoms when you have iron deficiency anemia. And if you tend to develop recurrent iron deficiency, any of these signs can be an indication that low iron levels might be affecting your RBCs.
Associated Symptoms
Sometimes iron deficiency anemia occurs along with other symptoms. For example, you may experience the effects of this type of anemia in association withheavy menstrual bleeding—during or shortly after your period.
Blood in the stool(which can appear bright red or dark and tarry) or blood in the urine (which can appear faintly pink or as clumps of blood) can also accompany or precede symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.
Pregnancy
You can have low iron levels due to inadequate iron in your diet, deficient iron absorption, or losing iron due to bleeding.Slow, persistent bleeding can cause iron deficiency anemia, and sudden rapid bleeding can cause it as well.
Low iron levels cause iron deficiency anemia. People who are pregnant and those who are breastfeeding generally require higher amounts of iron because of increased physical demand for iron during pregnancy and lactation.
Iron is an essential mineral that you can only get from your diet. You need iron because it is a component of heme, a protein that binds to and carries oxygen in RBCs. All of your cells need oxygen for energy, so low iron results in low energy.
Normally, RBCs have a lifespan of approximately three to four months. As part of their normal life cycle, RBCs break down, and the iron can be stored and recycled as your body makes new RBCs.
You can have low iron levels due to inadequate iron in your diet, deficient iron absorption, or from losing iron as a result of bleeding. Slow, persistent bleeding can cause iron deficiency anemia, and sudden rapid bleeding can cause it as well.
Insufficient Dietary Iron
Many types of food naturally contain iron, and some foods are fortified with the mineral. If you don’t eat enough iron-containing food, you could become deficient.
Your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron is based on your age, gender, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is measured in milligrams (mg).
If your iron intake is below these recommended amounts, you are at a high risk of becoming iron deficient and developing iron deficiency anemia.
Absorption
A number of gastrointestinal (GI) issues can interfere with iron absorption. This mineral is normally absorbed in theduodenum, which is the first section of thesmall intestine. Illnesses that affect the stomach (which secretes enzymes into the small intestine) or the duodenum can prevent normal iron absorption.
Conditions such asCeliac disease,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and chronic diarrhea commonly cause nutrient malabsorption.
Your diet can affect your iron absorption. Vitamin C, found in fruits and vegetables, enhances the absorption of iron. On the other hand, calcium, a mineral found in dairy products, inhibits iron absorption.
Bleeding
Health problems that can cause chronic bleeding includestomach ulcers, intestinal polyps, colon cancer,hemorrhoids, and chronic urinary tract infections.
Menstrual bleeding can also result in low iron, as can severe blood loss due to a traumatic injury.
Iron-refractory Iron Deficiency Anemia
If you have signs of iron deficiency anemia, you might also need to have tests that measure your iron levels. And you might also need an evaluation to look for diseases and identify bleeding that could be the root cause of your iron deficiency anemia.
RBC Measures
Your CBC will include a report that details several RBC characteristics.
Red Blood Cell Measurements and What They Mean
Iron Tests
Sometimes, with iron deficiency anemia, your iron and iron carrying capacity is measured as well. These are not standard diagnostic tests, but measurements of iron levels may be necessary if it is unclear whether you are iron deficient.
Iron tests include:
How Anemia Is Diagnosed
Sources of Bleeding
If your iron level is low, your medical team may order tests to identify a source of bleeding, especially if your RBC count and/or hematocrit are also low. A stool or urine sample may be sent to a laboratory to be examined for evidence of blood. Imaging tests may identify bleeding polyps or tumors.
Further tests can include invasive diagnostic examination of your GI system or bladder.
Iron supplements, Injectafer infusion, and blood transfusion are other options if your iron deficiency is severe.
Iron Supplements
Iron supplements are available in oral pill or tablet form, and as an oral suspension. These supplements are available over-the-counter (OTC) and as prescription formulations. It is important to ask your healthcare provider how to take these supplements as the timing of certain foods and medications can inhibit or increase its absorption.
Keep in mind that iron can cause severe constipation, so you should check with your healthcare provider before taking iron supplements—even if you plan to take an OTC strength formulation.
Injectafer Treatment
Injectafer (ferric carboxymaltose injection) is an iron replacement treatment approved for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adults who do not improve or who can’t tolerate oral iron supplements.This treatment is also approved for treatment of iron deficiency anemia for adults who have non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease.
Iron Infusion: How Long It Takes & What Else to Expect
Blood Transfusion
If you are actively bleeding or if iron supplements and medication would not adequately correct your iron deficiency in a timely manner, you may need to have a blood transfusion. This process involves an infusion of blood into your vein. Most of the time, a blood transfusion for treatment of iron deficiency anemia uses donor blood that is screened for disease and typed to verify that it matches your blood.
In rare instances—such as if your medical team anticipated that you could develop iron deficiency anemia due to blood loss associated with a major procedure—an autologous blood transfusion may be possible. This involves an infusion of your own blood if it was collected and stored before you experienced blood loss. You can donate your own blood for an autologous transfusion up to approximately one month before your procedure and no closer to your procedure than 72 hours.
Why Do People Need Blood Transfusions?
A Word From Verywell
Iron deficiency anemia is not uncommon, and the World Health Organization considers it a global health concern. Because many of the symptoms are so vague, it’s hard to recognize, and you might blame your symptoms on lifestyle factors like working too hard or just not getting enough sleep.
It can be hard to know for sure if iron deficiency anemia is at the root of your condition, but you should get medical attention if you aren’t feeling your best. Usually, simple blood tests can identify iron deficiency anemia, but you may need further evaluation to pinpoint the cause of your mineral deficiency.
Treatment of your anemia should improve your symptoms. And you also need treatment for your underlying condition so that you won’t be as likely to develop iron deficiency again.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Deloughery TG.Iron deficiency anemia.Med Clin North Am. 2017;101(2):319-332. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.09.004National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Iron-deficiency anemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iron.National Institutes of Health.Iron.Hoving V, Korman SE, Antonopoulos P, Donker AE, Schols SEM, Swinkels DW.IRIDA Phenotype inTMPRSS6Monoallelic-Affected Patients: Toward a Better Understanding of the Pathophysiology. Genes (Basel). 2022 Jul 23;13(8):1309. doi: 10.3390/genes13081309American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Complete blood count (CBC).American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Transferrin and iron-binding capacity (TIBC, UIBC).Food and Drug Administration.Injectafer Label.American Red Cross.Frequently asked questions about blood donation.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Deloughery TG.Iron deficiency anemia.Med Clin North Am. 2017;101(2):319-332. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.09.004National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Iron-deficiency anemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iron.National Institutes of Health.Iron.Hoving V, Korman SE, Antonopoulos P, Donker AE, Schols SEM, Swinkels DW.IRIDA Phenotype inTMPRSS6Monoallelic-Affected Patients: Toward a Better Understanding of the Pathophysiology. Genes (Basel). 2022 Jul 23;13(8):1309. doi: 10.3390/genes13081309American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Complete blood count (CBC).American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Transferrin and iron-binding capacity (TIBC, UIBC).Food and Drug Administration.Injectafer Label.American Red Cross.Frequently asked questions about blood donation.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Deloughery TG.Iron deficiency anemia.Med Clin North Am. 2017;101(2):319-332. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.09.004National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Iron-deficiency anemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iron.National Institutes of Health.Iron.Hoving V, Korman SE, Antonopoulos P, Donker AE, Schols SEM, Swinkels DW.IRIDA Phenotype inTMPRSS6Monoallelic-Affected Patients: Toward a Better Understanding of the Pathophysiology. Genes (Basel). 2022 Jul 23;13(8):1309. doi: 10.3390/genes13081309American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Complete blood count (CBC).American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Transferrin and iron-binding capacity (TIBC, UIBC).Food and Drug Administration.Injectafer Label.American Red Cross.Frequently asked questions about blood donation.
Deloughery TG.Iron deficiency anemia.Med Clin North Am. 2017;101(2):319-332. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.09.004
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Iron-deficiency anemia.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iron.
National Institutes of Health.Iron.
Hoving V, Korman SE, Antonopoulos P, Donker AE, Schols SEM, Swinkels DW.IRIDA Phenotype inTMPRSS6Monoallelic-Affected Patients: Toward a Better Understanding of the Pathophysiology. Genes (Basel). 2022 Jul 23;13(8):1309. doi: 10.3390/genes13081309
American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Complete blood count (CBC).
American Association for Clinical Chemistry.Transferrin and iron-binding capacity (TIBC, UIBC).
Food and Drug Administration.Injectafer Label.
American Red Cross.Frequently asked questions about blood donation.
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What to Know About Iron Deficiency AnemiaSymptoms of Iron Deficiency AnemiaWhat Causes Iron Deficiency Anemia?How to Live Well With Iron Deficiency Anemia
What to Know About Iron Deficiency Anemia
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia
What Causes Iron Deficiency Anemia?
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