Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron (The Basics)

What is anemia? — This is when a person has too few red blood cells or too little hemoglobin in their blood. Hemoglobin is inside red blood cells and helps the cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body. If your hemoglobin level is low, your body might not get all of the oxygen it needs.

What is iron deficiency anemia? — Anemia can happen for a few different reasons. A common reason is not having enough iron. This is called "iron deficiency" or sometimes "low iron."

You might not have enough iron if:

●You have lost a large amount of blood – This can happen slowly over time, or all of a sudden. It is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia.

Menstrual periods and pregnancy are common reasons to lose blood. In older people, tumors in the intestine can bleed. Sometimes, bleeding happens so slowly that you do not see the blood in your bowel movements.

●Your body cannot absorb enough iron from food – This can happen if you had surgery on your stomach or intestines. It can also happen if you have a condition like celiac disease that affects your intestines.

●You do not get enough iron in your food – This can be a problem in infants who do not get enough iron from formula, food, or supplements. It can also happen in parts of the world where people do not get enough iron in their diet.

What are the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia? — Some people have no symptoms. People who do have symptoms might:

●Feel irritable

●Feel tired or weak, especially if they try to exercise or walk up stairs

●Have headaches

●Have chest pain or trouble breathing

●Have abnormal cravings that make them want to eat ice or substances like clay or wallpaper

●Have "restless legs syndrome," where the legs feel like they need to keep moving, especially at night

Is there a test for anemia? — Yes. Your doctor or nurse can test your blood for anemia. They most often check your "hemoglobin" and "hematocrit." These are part of a test called a "complete blood count," or "CBC."

If blood tests show that you have anemia, or if you have symptoms of iron deficiency, your doctor or nurse will ask questions and do other blood tests. This will help them figure out what is causing your anemia and how best to treat it.

How is iron deficiency anemia treated? — It is treated by giving you extra iron. Eating foods that contain iron is not enough. If your anemia is severe, you might need a blood transfusion. You might also need treatment for the cause of bleeding.

If you need treatment with iron, there are some things to know:

●Iron comes in pills, or in a liquid you can get through an IV. (An IV is a thin tube that goes into a vein.) Your doctor or nurse will talk with you about which is best for you.

●Iron pills are taken once every other day or once a day. They need to be taken for several months. In most cases, IV iron can be given in a single treatment or a small number of treatments.

●Iron pills can cause side effects such as upset stomach and constipation (too few bowel movements, or bowel movements that are hard or painful).

●Some people cannot get enough iron from pills. This might be the case if you had weight loss surgery or a condition called inflammatory bowel disease, or if you are pregnant and nearing the end of your pregnancy.

●If you have side effects or cannot get enough iron from pills, there are things you can do to reduce these side effects, or you might switch to IV iron.

It is also important to find out why your iron was low. If it was caused by blood loss, the cause of bleeding needs to be found. Other causes also have important treatments. For example, if you have heavy menstrual periods, your doctor might do tests to find out why. There are medicines that can make your period lighter or stop it completely. Follow all instructions about testing and treatment.

If you have questions about your care, or want to know more about your options, talk to your doctor or nurse. They can help.

More on this topic

Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in adults – Discharge instructions (The Basics)
Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in children – Discharge instructions (The Basics)
Patient education: Anemia overview (The Basics)
Patient education: Good food sources of iron (The Basics)
Patient education: Restless legs syndrome (The Basics)
Patient education: Ferritin test (The Basics)
Patient education: Iron studies panel (The Basics)
Patient education: Hemoglobin and hematocrit tests (The Basics)

Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in adults (Beyond the Basics)