What Is Iron-Deficiency Anemia?

Iron-deficiency anemia is a common, easily treated condition that occurs when you don't have enough iron in your body.

Low iron levels usually are due to blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods.

Overview

Iron-deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia. The term "anemia" usually refers to a condition in which your blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (a waste product) from your body.

Anemia also can occur if your red blood cells don’t contain enough hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin). Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that helps carry oxygen to your body.

Iron-deficiency anemia usually develops over time if your body doesn’t have enough iron to build healthy red blood cells. Without enough iron, your body starts using the iron it has stored. Soon, the stored iron gets used up.

After the stored iron is gone, your body makes fewer red blood cells. The red blood cells it does make will have less hemoglobin than normal.

Iron-deficiency anemia can cause fatigue (tiredness), shortness of breath, chest pain, and other symptoms. Severe iron-deficiency anemia can lead to heart problems, infections, problems with growth and development in children, and other complications.

People at highest risk for iron-deficiency anemia include infants and young children, women, and adults who have internal bleeding.

Outlook

Iron-deficiency anemia usually can be successfully treated. Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of the condition. Treatments may include changes to your diet, medicines, and surgery.

Severe iron-deficiency anemia may require treatment in a hospital, blood transfusions, iron injections, or intravenous iron therapy.

February 2009