Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron Deficiency Anemia is a common condition where the body lacks enough iron, a vital mineral needed to make healthy red blood cells. These cells carry oxygen throughout the body, so when iron is low, the body cannot produce enough oxygen-carrying cells. This leads to symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and pale skin. The condition mainly affects the blood and circulatory system. It often results from poor dietary intake, blood loss, or problems absorbing iron. Without enough iron, the body struggles to maintain normal energy levels and overall health.

Iron Deficiency Anemia is a microcytic, hypochromic anemia caused by insufficient iron availability for hemoglobin synthesis. The core pathology involves depleted iron stores leading to reduced production of hemoglobin and subsequently fewer and smaller red blood cells. The most common causes include chronic blood loss (e.g., gastrointestinal bleeding), inadequate dietary iron intake, or malabsorption. Clinically, it manifests with symptoms of tissue hypoxia such as fatigue, pallor, and sometimes pica. Laboratory findings typically show low serum iron, low ferritin, elevated total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and microcytic hypochromic red cells on peripheral smear. It is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency worldwide and a major cause of anemia, especially in women and children.