| Risk Factors Anemia is a low level of healthy red blood cells
(RBC). RBCs carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
When red blood cells are low the body does not get enough
oxygen. This can cause symptoms such as fatigue, pale skin, or
irregular heartbeat. Iron is needed to build healthy RBCs. Iron-
deficiency anemia is caused by low levels of iron in the body.
Red Blood Cells Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. Factors
that play a role include: - Iron that is poorly absorbed in the
digestive tract (may occur due to intestinal diseases or
surgery) - Chronic bleeding (eg, heavy menstrual bleeding,
bleeding in the gastrointestinal [GI] tract) - Not enough iron
in the diet (common cause in infants, children, and pregnant
women) These factors increase your chance of developing this
condition. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk
factors: - Rapid growth cycles (infancy, adolescence) - Heavy
menstrual bleeding or chronic blood loss from the GI tract -
Diets that contain insufficient iron