Synonyms
Sideropenia English: iron deficiency
Introduction
An iron deficiency can be caused by a variety of factors. Iron deficiency is most often caused by bleeding or malnutrition. A diet or a vegan or vegetarian diet can be the cause of malnutrition. Furthermore, the need for iron can be so increased that a diet containing iron alone is not sufficient and supplements such as iron tablets must be taken.
Iron deficiency due to an increased iron requirement
Pregnant women and growing children need more iron to meet their needs. Pregnant women should consume approx. 30 mg iron daily, i.e. the requirements of pregnant women are twice as high as the normal requirements of a woman.
Iron deficiency through iron loss
A great deal of iron is lost, especially through heavy bleeding. With 1 liter of blood the body loses about 500mg iron. Bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract is particularly common, leading to increased iron loss.
These can be caused by tumors or wrong or overdosed medication. Kidney stones or bladder stones can also lead to bleeding and thus to a lack of iron. Furthermore, long operations with high blood loss or serious accidents can lead to iron deficiency.
Frequent blood donations can also lead to deficiency symptoms. Too little iron in food can lead to iron deficiency, especially in infants, toddlers, vegetarians and women. The recommended daily dosage is 12mg for men and 15mg for menstruating women, as women lose blood and thus iron during their menstruation.
An insufficient intake of iron leads to iron deficiency in the long term. The causes for this are manifold. First of all, a strict diet without iron-containing foods or an unbalanced vegetarian/vegan diet can lead to a deficiency symptom.
Furthermore, ulcers of the intestine or chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can be responsible for insufficient iron absorption. In the case of surgical removal of stomach or intestinal sections, the reduced absorption of iron can also lead to an insufficient supply of iron to the organism. Certain drugs, such as calcium tablets, can also have a negative effect on the absorption of iron in the intestine.
An unhealthy diet has many sides. It can involve the intake of too much meat and “fatty” foods, as well as the daily consumption of sweets or fast food. A danger of developing an iron deficiency arises especially for people who live exclusively on “convenience foods” and sweets.
Although these products contain some iron, this amount is far too small to cover the body’s regular requirements. Antibiotics (tetracyclines), chronic gastritis such as Crohn’s disease, or the removal of part of the stomach or small intestine can lead to a poorer absorption of iron from food into the organism and thus to a deficiency. Terminal kidney failure or chronic diseases such as celiac disease can also lead to iron deficiency.
A life without meat does not necessarily lead to iron deficiency. Vegetarians run the risk of developing an iron deficiency especially if they do not eat enough iron-containing food. These include, for example, lentils, beans, spinach or nuts.
If the diet does not pay attention to the ingredients or is very one-sided, vegetarians again have a high risk of developing an iron deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also lead to anaemia. However, it is out of the question as a cause for iron deficiency.
Occasionally humans, who have a Vitamin B 12 deficiency have in addition, an iron deficiency, without this being recognized immediately in the blood count. Due to the lack of vitamin B12, only few new red blood cells can be formed. Therefore also only small quantities of iron are used.
For people with low iron reserves, this constellation unfortunately leads to a falsified blood count. The iron that is not “utilized” makes the iron content in the blood appear normal to high. It is therefore always important to recheck the iron values after a therapy in case of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
An underfunction of the thyroid gland can negatively influence various metabolic processes. This includes the absorption of important minerals or trace elements such as iron. The hypofunction can thus lead to a deficiency symptom.
In addition to iron, an underactive thyroid often leads to a deficiency of other important substances (such as magnesium or folic acid).Stress can promote iron deficiency. The body is dependent on an iron supply through food because it cannot produce iron itself. Stress can influence the body’s digestive process.
As a result, the absorption of important elements such as iron can be disturbed or reduced. However, stress alone rarely causes an iron deficiency. As a rule, the combination of stress with other risk factors, such as a heavy menstrual cycle or an unbalanced vegetarian lifestyle, results in iron deficiency.
Malignant ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to chronic bleeding. A best-known example of this is colon cancer, also known as colon cancer. Persistent bleeding can also occur in the bladder due to a tumor disease.
Blood loss due to tumor diseases can lead to iron deficiency and an associated anemia. You want to detect a colon cancer?usually women lose about 40 ml of blood per menstrual cycle. In the case of a heavy menstrual cycle, also known as hypermenorrhea, ≥ 80 ml of blood.
The greater loss of blood and iron increases the risk of developing iron deficiency. In contrast to women with a “normal” menstrual cycle, women with a heavy menstrual cycle suffer more often from iron deficiency. During pregnancy, larger amounts of iron are needed to supply the mother and child properly.
Iron plays an important role in many places. Among other things, it is involved in increased blood formation, as well as being an important component in the development of the child‘s nervous system, growth and the formation of the immune system. Even with the mother’s greatest efforts to eat healthier food, the increased need cannot always be met by food.
As a result, iron deficiency during pregnancy is quite a common phenomenon. To ensure an optimal supply of iron, pregnant women are therefore often advised to take iron supplements. During childbirth, considerable blood loss can occur.
With the bleeding, the body also loses a certain amount of iron. If the iron reserves are good, the deficiency can be quickly compensated. The situation is different for women who already have scarce iron reserves in advance.
Here, the body’s needs do not cover the existing iron resources and iron deficiency occurs as a result. A blood donation usually comprises a volume of 500 ml blood. The amount of iron contained in this blood is about 250 mg.
This sounds a lot at first, but in healthy people the body is able to compensate for the loss. For people who donate blood only occasionally, there is no risk of developing an iron deficiency. The situation may be different for people who belong to the iron deficiency risk group or to the permanent blood donors.
To the risk group belong among other things humans with chronically inflammatory stomach intestine illnesses, glow incompatibility or also Veganer. Frequently these risk groups already have “sparse” iron reserves and are more quickly threatened by iron deficiency if they lose more iron. In the case of long-term donors, iron deficiency can occur as a result of blood being taken several times a year.
Especially women with a heavy menstrual flow have an increased risk of developing an iron deficiency when donating blood on a regular basis. Competitive sports can lead to an iron deficiency. Athletes need larger amounts of energy and oxygen for their performance.
In order to be able to transport oxygen properly, the body forms larger quantities of red blood pigment and increases its blood cell production. The organism is dependent on iron for these processes. Due to the increased production of blood cells and the resulting increased consumption of iron, athletes can suffer from a deficiency.
Furthermore, sweating during sports can lead to iron deficiency. Heavy sweating also causes small amounts of iron to be lost. Before operations, the blood and thus also iron values are usually checked.
People who have already been operated on, i.e. who have limited iron reserves before an operation, run the risk of developing an iron deficiency more quickly. In particular, severe blood loss during surgery increases the risk of iron deficiency. Usually the body is able to compensate for the blood loss and iron deficiency after the operation by drawing on its iron reserves. In people with low iron stores, this compensation is simply not possible due to the lack of reserves.An operation is a strain on a person and can increase existing preoperative complaints.
