Causes
- chronic bleeding (haemoglobin contains iron)
- excessive menstrual bleeding
- non-menstrual bleeding
- bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, hemorrhoids, Ulcerative Colitis etc.)
- rarely, laryngological bleeding or from the respiratory tract
- inadequate intake
- substances (in diet or drugs) interfering with iron absorption
- malabsorption syndromes
- inflammation where it is adaptive to limit bacterial growth
- blood donation
Though genetic defects causing iron deficiency have been studied in rodents, there are no known genetic disorders of human iron metabolism that directly cause iron deficiency.
Read more about this topic: Iron Deficiency