Iron Deficiency, So Common in Women
Iron deficiency is one the most commonly seen things in my practice. There are many reason why women experience iron deficiency during their lifetime:
Inadequate dietary intake: iron is an essential mineral that the body uses to manufacture hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. If you don’t eat enough iron-rich foods (meat, poultry, fish, fortified cereals), your body may not have enough iron to make hemoglobin
Blood loss: Throughout a woman’s life, there are various reasons why blood can be lost. This includes menstruation, surgery and certain medical conditions.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are normal physiologic conditions where women require more iron. If they don’t get enough iron in their diet, this may develop into iron iron deficiency.
Malabsorption: Conditions such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, gastric bypass surgery can interfere with the gut’s ability to absorb iron from food.
Cancer, kidney disease and heart failure can lead to iron deficiency by reducing the body’s ability to absorb and utilize iron.
Certain medicines such as antacids, proton pump inhibitors can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb iron from food.
If you are experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency, please speak to your primary care physician about getting evaluated.
