Anemia is a condition where the blood doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells. Although iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, it is only one of many. It occurs when the body doesn’t have enough iron to make red blood cells. For simplicity, let’s use a football analogy where our red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which functions as a sure-handed running back, carrying oxygen (football) to the desired tissues.
However, three anemia-causing scenarios interfere with oxygen delivery to tissues.
- Decreased blood cell production: usually due to nutritional deficits, including iron deficiency anemia, or those related to deficiencies in vitamin B12 or vitamin B9 (folate).
- Blood cell loss from bleeding: typically related to heavy or prolonged menstrual cycles.
- Blood cell destruction: often seen with Sickle Cell Anemia or infection.
Can you be iron deficient without being anemic and vice versa?
It is possible to have iron deficiency before developing a diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia.
Over time, however, iron deficiency will always lead to anemia if supplementation is not initiated. This occurs as the body exhausts its iron stores, often termed ferritin.
And just as individuals can have iron deficiency before anemia develops, many anemias occur independently from iron deficiency.
