What causes anemia?

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What causes anemia?

The most common cause of anemia is low levels of iron in the body. This type of anemia is called iron-deficiency anemia. Your body needs a certain amount of iron to make hemoglobin, the substance that moves oxygen throughout your body. However, iron-deficiency anemia is just one type. Other types are caused by:

  • Diets lacking in vitamin B12, or you can’t use or absorb Vitamin B12 (like pernicious anemia).
  • Diets lacking in folic acid, also called folate, or your body can’t use folic acid correctly (like folate-deficiency anemia).
  • Inherited blood disorders (like sickle cell anemia or thalassemia).
  • Conditions that cause red blood cells to break down too fast (like hemolytic anemia).
  • Chronic conditions causing your body to not have enough hormones to create red blood cells. These include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, advanced kidney disease, lupus and other long-term diseases.
  • Blood loss related to other conditions such as ulcers, hemorrhoids or gastritis.

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