what causes low iron levels in females

What diseases cause low iron levels?

What are the 3 stages of iron deficiency?

What happens if your iron is too low?

How can I raise my iron levels quickly?

Why is iron important?

Having adequate iron levels is critical for our overall health and well-being – iron helps oxygenate and energize nearly every system in our body. So why are we unable to hold on to our iron? What is really going on? what causes low iron??

Can low copper levels cause low iron levels?

When you have low copper levels, iron cannot be absorbed. A simple blood test can determine if this is the reason why your iron levels never seem to be maintained.

Is iron good for bacteria?

Iron is like chocolate for bacteria. It is their food and they love it. If you are continually taking iron supplements, you could be feeding a bacterial infection in your body and making it worse.

Why do women have low iron levels?

A study found that about 10% of iron deficiency cases occur because of problems in menstrual bleeding. During the menstrual cycle, heavy bleeding — aka menorrhagia — results in severely low iron levels. This is one of the common signs of iron deficiency, particularly in women aged 20+ years.

What are the symptoms of low iron?

Abnormally shaped nails with inward depression or ridge are also symptoms of severely low iron.

Why do we need iron?

You need iron to generate hemoglobin in red blood cells (RBC). The scarlet RBC color comes from this iron-rich protein that carries oxygen to the body organs via blood. Long-term low levels of iron lead to a serious condition called iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

How much blood do you lose during a cycle?

If you’re confused about what heavy bleeding refers to, here’s a pro-tip by Cemcor. Women usually lose about 35ml of blood during a cycle. Any sanitary product (including tampons or pads) can soak up to 5ml of blood. If you use more than 7 products during a cycle, there’s a high risk of low iron levels.

How do you know if you have iron deficiency?

If you feel unusually cold during the day and night , this is one of the most serious signs of iron deficiency. 6. Nail ridges and brittleness.

How much iron should a woman have?

Experts agree that ideally, women need about 3.5 grams of iron. Almost 70% of this iron is carried in hemoglobin, while the rest is found in muscle proteins or the liver. Now that’s the story of low iron levels.

What is the normal iron level for females?

The normal range of iron for females is between 50 to 170 μg/dl. Anything less than this might result in severely low levels of iron.

Why is iron deficiency high in lactating women?

Though lactating females can be iron deficient, the cause is probably due to blood loss as a result of childbirth, and not necessarily because they need extra iron to nourish a newborn. Another reason for iron deficiency during lactation is that during the third trimester, the mother sends a large quantity of iron to her developing offspring. If her diet is iron-poor at this time, she will experience iron-deficiency anemia. Lactating mothers indeed require extra calories and adequate fluids to enable them to produce milk, but it is not necessarily true that they need supplemental iron. Nor is it true that supplemental iron taken by the mother will have an effect on her milk. Studies of breastmilk of females with hemochromatosis, iron overload disease, indicate that the excess iron stored in the tissues did not have an effect on the iron levels in the breastmilk, suggesting that there is a complex iron regulatory system to assure that the proper balance of iron gets into human milk.

Why do women have anemia?

Blood loss and pregnancy or lack of meat in the diet are the leading causes of iron deficiency in women. Other more rare reasons include problems of absorption (acquired or inherited), nutritional deficiencies (iron, B12, folate, zinc); or disease (fibroids, cancer, inherited anemias or bleeding disorders)

Why do pregnant women have low hemoglobin?

The American Academy of Family Physicians and the Institutes of Medicine recommend that pregnant females have serum ferritin measured along with hemoglobin values to assure moderately low normal hemoglobin values are in fact due to iron deficiency and not due to an undetected illness.

What foods should a woman with anemia eat?

For women who cannot afford meat, such as those who live in developing countries, or who come from low-income families, iron-fortified foods and supplemental iron may be essential. Conversely, healthy females who can afford meat, and who consume adequate amounts, along with other iron-rich foods, should not experience iron-deficiency anemia. A health care provider can monitor hemoglobin, serum ferritin values and diet to assure that the right balance of iron is maintained.

Why do women lose blood during pregnancy?

Heavy menstruation and childbirth are significant sources of blood loss for women of childbearing age. Chronic blood loss can also be due to endometriosis or fibroids, which require a great amount of blood. Fibroids are usually benign, but can grow to the size of a baseball or grapefruit before they are detected. Fibroids of the uterus can interfere with delivery during childbirth, requiring Cesarean-section delivery. von Willibrand disease is another overlooked cause of heavy menstrual bleeding in women. (Consider Iron Disorders Institute Guide to Anemia book, which includes a chapter on von Willebrand disease).

What is the hemoglobin level of a woman in Wales?

In Wales, a study of 54,000 pregnancies found that prenatal mortality, low birthweight, and preterm birth were more common in women with hemoglobin values either less than 10.4 g/dL or greater than 13.2 g/dL than in women who had hemoglobin within the range of 10.5–13.1 g/dL.

How much iron does a woman need to absorb?

Her normal absorption rate of 1 milligram is stepped up to 1.5–3 milligrams per day —the female body’s natural response to blood loss.

What happens if you don't have enough iron?

Without it, many bodily functions would malfunction. If your body doesn’t have enough iron, it cannot produce enough healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

Why do infants need more iron?

Infants and toddlers need more iron than older children because of their rapid growth.

What is the difference between heme and non-heme iron?

There are two types of dietary iron, heme iron, and non-heme iron. The body absorbs heme iron easily than non- heme iron.

What are the most common nutritional deficiencies?

Iron deficiency and low iron levels is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies. High-risk groups include women (adolescent and pregnant) and young children due to either increased body needs or increased loss of blood.

How much iron does the body absorb?

Healthy adults absorb about ten to 15 percent of dietary iron, but some people’s bodies are unable to absorb or use iron from food. Elderly people suffer from low HCl levels in the stomach.

Why is vitamin C important for iron?

Vitamin C is well revered to boost the absorption of non-heme iron.. That’s why combining iron rich foods with Vitamin C rich foods is an excellent step to ensure higher bio availability of iron and to boost your levels naturally.

Why is my skin pale and dry?

It becomes dry and pale in color. This is because, low iron means low blood levels and poor circulation due to tired heart.

What are the causes of iron deficiency?

MAIN CAUSES OF IRON DEFICIENCY. There are many factors that influence the development of iron deficiency disorders and consequently the occurrence of anemia. See below the main causes: NUTRITIONAL CAUSES: Low iron intake through food usually does not cause an iron deficiency in adults, but during lactation the physiological needs ...

What causes a decrease in the absorption of iron?

ABSORPTION PROBLEMS: Some disorders such as atrophic gastritis weaken the stomach acidity causing a reduction of the absorption of non-heme iron, but do not affect the absorption of iron salts or heme iron from animal sources.

Why do vegans have low iron?

Diets based on plant products, especially in the case of vegans, may cause iron deficiency due to the absence or low iron absorption in the intestine, since this mineral is presented in its form of non-heme iron.

Why do women lose blood during menstruation?

In the case of adult men and postmenopausal women suffer from iron deficiency anemia, the main cause is usually chronic blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract, which may be due to gastroesophageal reflux, hiatal hernia, ...

What causes anemia in adults?

Other conditions such as celiac disease also hinder iron absorption process and can cause the onset of anemia. BLOOD LOSS AND HEMORRHAGE: is the most common cause of iron deficiency in adults, which may be due to various reasons.

Can iron deficiency cause anemia?

Iron malabsorption does not represent a frequent cause of deficiency , except in persons who have been operated on gastrectomy or suffering from malabsorption syndrome. About 50% of these patients will suffer from iron deficiency anemia in ...

Why do I lose iron?

If you lose blood through any sort of bleeding, this means you lose iron too. The main causes of excess blood loss are having heavy menstrual periods and bleeding in the stomach or bowel, which may be associated with taking medicines such as aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medicines, ulcers, bowel polyps or cancer.

How to tell if you have iron deficiency?

The only reliable way of telling if you are iron deficient is through a blood test to look at your iron levels and to check for anaemia. You may also need other tests to find out what is causing the iron deficiency.

How to bring iron levels back to normal?

This can be done a number of different ways. Depending on your needs, your doctor may recommend that you: consume less foods and drinks that stop you absorbing iron, like calcium, fibre, tea, coffee and wine.

How does iron absorb?

Trouble absorbing iron. Iron in food is absorbed through the stomach and bowel. Some health conditions affect how much iron is absorbed, such as coeliac disease. If you’ve had stomach surgery, that can also affect how much iron you can absorb. Blood loss.

Why is anemia below normal?

anaemia (when there are too few red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood is below normal because of too little iron) an impaired immune system . poorer aerobic sports performance. fatigue.

What is the role of iron in the body?

Its main role is in red blood cells, where it helps make a protein called haemoglobin.

What foods and drinks stop you from absorbing iron?

consume less foods and drinks that stop you absorbing iron, like calcium, fibre, tea, coffee and wine

What diseases can be caused by excess iron?

Type II diabetes. Septicemia (excessive iron nourishes dangerous microbe colonization) Early onset neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, among others) Individual symptoms and degree of expression will vary between people (as will the amounts of stored iron). Excessive body iron accumulation can also lead to depression, ...

What causes anemia in the elderly?

Anemia of inflammation chronic disease is the most common cause of anemia in the elderly. Numerous diseases have inflammation as a consequence; in the elderly some of the more common include acute or chronic infections, arthritis or malignancy. Often in many older cases the underlying disease may not be identified right away.

What is anemia in the elderly called?

Key to understanding anemia in the elderly is the distinction between anemia caused by iron deficiency or anemia caused by inflammation—often called anemia of chronic disease.

How long does it take for anemia to develop?

Without blood loss, iron-deficiency anemia takes several years to develop. Inadequate intake or inadequate absorption of iron can occur in older patients who have poor diets, do not eat much meat, or who have subnormal levels of stomach acid. Stomach acid is hydrocloric acid or HCl and is vital to absorption of iron.

How does anemia affect the absorption of nutrients?

Lack of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) can affect nutrient absorption as nutrients need an acidic environment to be absorbed. Taking medications that reduce stomach acidity or the surgical removal of portions of the stomach or small intestine can impair absorption. Other contributors to anemia in the elderly include alcohol abuse, prolonged Helicobacter pylori infection, chemotherapy, medications such as anticonvulsants, celiac sprue disease, poor kidney function, cancer, hypo or hyperthyroidism.

Why do elderly people have anemia?

Iron-deficiency is the second most common cause of anemia in the elderly. The most foremost reasons for iron deficiency in this age group are blood loss, nutritional deficiencies, medications, cancer therapies and poor absorption.

What are the two most common nutritional deficiencies in the elderly?

The two most common nutritional anemia seen in the elderly are the B vitamins, especially B12, or folate; zinc and iron.