Iron Deficiency - Causes

Causes

• chronic bleeding (haemoglobin contains iron)
  • excessive menstrual bleeding
  • non-menstrual bleeding
  • bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, hemorrhoids, Ulcerative Colitis etc.)
  • rarely, laryngological bleeding or from the respiratory tract
• inadequate intake
• substances (in diet or drugs) interfering with iron absorption
• malabsorption syndromes
• inflammation where it is adaptive to limit bacterial growth
• blood donation

Though genetic defects causing iron deficiency have been studied in rodents, there are no known genetic disorders of human iron metabolism that directly cause iron deficiency.