Why did I get iron deficiency anaemia?
The reasons for getting iron deficiency anaemia include: • losing a lot of blood from heavy periods or stomach and bowel problems, including ulcers or cancer; • lack of iron in the diet over a long period of time; • fast growth in children; • being born early (premature); • being pregnant — the mother’s iron stores go to her baby; • excessive exercise — the body needs more iron than usual and iron is lost in sweat; • being unable to absorb iron in the bowel, for example in Crohn’s disease or coeliac disease; • regular use of medicines that can cause stomach bleeding (for example, aspirin and anti-inflammatories); and • damaged veins or bleeding piles (haemorrhoids).
