Iron-deficiency anemia

Iron-deficiency anemia
Red blood cells
Classification and external resources
Specialty	Hematology
ICD-10	D50
ICD-9-CM	280
DiseasesDB	6947
MedlinePlus	000584
eMedicine	med/1188
MeSH	D018798
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Iron-deficiency anemia, also spelled iron-deficiency anaemia, is anemia caused by a lack of iron. Anemia is defined as a decrease in the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. When anemia comes on slowly, the symptoms are often vague and may include feeling tired, weakness, shortness of breath or poor ability to exercise. Anemia that comes on quickly often has greater symptoms which may include: confusion, feeling like one is going to pass out, and increased thirst. There needs to be significant anemia before a person becomes noticeably pale. There may be additional symptoms depending on the underlying cause.

It is caused by insufficient dietary intake and absorption of iron, or iron loss from bleeding. Bleeding can be from a range of sources such as the intestinal, uterine or urinary tract. The most common cause of iron-deficiency anemia in children in developing countries is parasitic worms. Worms cause intestinal bleeding, which is not always noticeable in feces, and is especially damaging to children.Malaria, hookworms and vitamin A deficiency contribute to anemia during pregnancy in most underdeveloped countries. In women over 50 years old, the most common cause of iron-deficiency anemia is chronic gastrointestinal bleeding from nonparasitic causes, such as gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers or gastrointestinal cancer.

Iron deficiency causes approximately half of all anemia cases worldwide, and affects women more often than men. Iron-deficiency anemia affected 1.2 billion people in 2013. In 2013 anemia due to iron deficiency resulted in about 183,000 deaths – down from 213,000 deaths in 1990.

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