What Causes Microcytic Anemia?

Inadequate Iron Intake

Iron is naturally found in the human body and is essential for maintaining proper red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels. Almost three-quarters of the human body's iron can be found in myoglobin cells or muscle cells and red blood cells or hemoglobin cells. With inadequate iron intake, the bone marrow cannot produce enough healthy and correctly functioning red blood cells resulting in microcytic anemia. Numerous medical conditions can cause an individual to have a poor diet, such as eating disorders, gastrointestinal tract conditions, stomach problems, liver problems, and diabetes. Other causes of insufficient iron intake include individuals who are homeless or live in severe poverty, elderly individuals who do not have any variety in their diets, children who drink more then sixteen ounces of cow's milk a day, individuals following a vegan or vegetarian diet, individuals who consume excessive caffeine quantities every day, and individuals who take antacids regularly.

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Kidney Disease

The kidneys produce an essential hormone for the stimulation of the bone marrow to do its job called erythropoietin. Erythropoietin is basically a messenger in the form of a chemical that triggers the bone marrow to produce red blood cells, raising the red blood cell count and hemoglobin levels. When partial kidney function has been lost, the kidneys are not able to make enough erythropoietin to sustain a normal production of red blood cells. It is the lack of this hormone that causes microcytic anemia to develop in patients with kidney disease. In addition, many individuals with kidney disease also undergo regular hemodialysis, which can result in a significant quantity of blood loss. Fortunately, like other naturally produced hormones, an artificial hormone to replace erythropoietin has been developed to help treat microcytic anemia that happens as a result of kidney function impairment.

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