Causes of Iron Deficiency Anaemia

Did you know that iron deficiency anaemia is the most common form of anaemia , and it can come about as a result of a number of factors, including heavy periods? It may be that multiple factors combine to result in flare ups of anaemia, or you may experience ongoing symptoms.  Either way, understanding the causes of this condition could bring you one step closer to solving the issue and feeling better.

This can be a confusing topic, but we’ve got you covered. Below, we explore the definitions of iron deficiency and anaemia before looking at the various causes of these medical conditions. Keep reading to learn more!

What is iron deficiency?

Although they’re often seen together in patients, iron deficiency and anaemia aren’t actually the same thing. Iron deficiency is an example of a nutritional deficiency - a condition whereby you might not be getting enough of certain food types. In the case of iron deficiency, the person doesn’t have enough iron in their blood, and this can have a number of causes. 

Iron deficiency can cause anaemia, but it’s also common for people to experience symptoms of anaemia without receiving an official diagnosis. 

 

What is anaemia?

You may be wondering: if anaemia isn’t defined by low iron levels, then what is it? In actual fact, anaemia is a deficiency of haemoglobin in the blood. And don’t worry, we didn’t just sneeze! Haemoglobin is the protein found in red blood cells, and its job is to carry oxygen through the body. Iron is a key component of haemoglobin; interestingly, this is what gives blood its red colour! Lacking iron is one thing that can cause anaemia by making it impossible for the body to create sufficient levels of haemoglobin - but it’s not the only cause.  

In order to be diagnosed with anaemia, your blood haemoglobin levels would need to fall below a certain level set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which details different levels for men, non-pregnant women and pregnant women. However, you might still experience symptoms of iron deficiency when your haemoglobin levels are higher than the threshold - which is how you can have iron deficiency without receiving an ‘official’ diagnosis for anaemia. 

happy woman running wearing red trousers

What are the causes of iron deficiency?

Since iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia,  we’ll talk you through some of the factors that can contribute to low iron levels in the body.

 

Lack of iron in the diet

Most people are able to get all the iron they need from their everyday diet, but if you have certain dietary restrictions or need more iron than most people, you may find yourself experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency.  This could happen if you don’t have a lot of red meat, dark green leafy vegetables or pulses in your diet. 

Men, and women who don’t menstruate (for example, post-menopausal women) typically need around 8.7mg of iron per day, whereas women who still menstruate require 14.8mg.  

Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a common cause of iron deficiency anaemia - more than 20% of European women develop anaemia during pregnancy, with the vast majority of cases resulting from low iron levels. The reason for this is that your iron requirements are higher during pregnancy because, on top of your normal iron needs, your baby also needs lots of iron to aid their growth!

Since anaemia is so common during pregnancy, women in the UK are automatically screened for the condition. Anaemia is diagnosed with a blood test, which is usually done during the first visit of your midwife and again at 28 weeks.   

 

Severe blood loss

Significant blood loss of any kind can lead to iron deficiency anaemia, simply because iron and haemoglobin is contained within the blood you’re losing. 

When we talk about severe blood loss, you might automatically think of serious injuries or illnesses, but that’s not always the case. In fact, one of the most common causes of significant blood loss is heavy periods - which means you could often experience anaemia symptoms alongside your menstrual cycle. If this is the case, then your GP may need to review how this is managed and consider a range of treatments which may include a treatment such as Evana heavy period relief tablets to help alleviate your symptoms. Please speak to your pharmacist or GP to learn more.

Another form of significant blood loss that is a common cause of iron deficiency anaemia is internal bleeding of the stomach or intestines, but any kind of serious blood loss, no matter the route cause, could result in an iron deficiency and/or anaemia. If you’re being treated for such a condition already, you will likely be given blood tests to check for this.  

woman excersising whilst wearing work out clothes and noticeably wearing red leggings.

Vigorous exercise

Iron deficiency is believed to be common among people who take part in endurance sports, where the incidence rate can be as high as 28% in women who run marathons. The exact cause for this is still unknown, though it may be linked to a heightened inflammatory response triggered by intensive exercise. Iron deficiency caused by excessive exercise might be intensified by other some of the other factors we’ve covered, for example heavy periods or restricted diet.  

 

What causes anaemia?

As mentioned, iron deficiency is the most common type of anaemia,  but there are other types as well. Below are some other conditions that could cause anaemia without an iron deficiency. 

Lack of functional haemoglobin or red blood cells

In some cases, anaemia may be caused by underlying conditions that prevent or affect the production of red blood cells.  One example of this is sickle cell anaemia, which is a condition where the red blood cells are produced in a sickle shape, making it harder for them to carry oxygen. This leads to similar symptoms to iron deficiency anaemia, even when iron levels are sufficient. 

 

Folate or vitamin B12 deficiency

Anaemia can also be caused by other nutrient deficiencies similar to iron deficiency. If you don’t get enough vitamin B12 or B9 (often known as folate), your body might produce very large red blood cells that don’t work properly and can’t carry oxygen through your bloodstream. 

These vitamin deficiencies could be caused by:

  • Poor diet
  • Pernicious anaemia - this is where your body’s immune system attacks healthy stomach cells, preventing the normal absorption of vitamin B12 from your diet
  • Certain medicines such as anticonvulsants (a class of drugs that treat seizures and other conditions by controlling abnormal electrical activity in the brain) and proton pump inhibitors (a class of drugs that reduce the amount of stomach acid produced)

Since there are a lot of potential causes for iron deficiency or anaemia, it can be tricky to identify which factors are contributing towards your symptoms. Therefore, the best thing you can do if you think you may have anaemia or an iron deficiency, even if you think you know the cause, is to speak to your GP. They can order tests to check your iron and haemoglobin levels and they’ll be able to help you investigate possible causes with the aim of resolving the problem in the long term.