Can iron deficiency anemia be cured?

Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
Updated on February 01, 2025
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Iron deficiency anemia is treatable, but it is essential to identify the cause of the iron deficiency. The treatment of iron deficiency anemia is divided into two main parts. The first part involves iron supplementation, which can be administered orally or intravenously, with intravenous supplementation generally being more effective and faster. The second part is crucial: identifying the cause of the iron deficiency. For example, common causes in women of childbearing age include heavy menstrual periods, while older patients often suffer from gastrointestinal tumors or ulcers, and in children, the common cause is usually nutritional deficiency. It is vital to treat the underlying cause.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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Why is there iron deficiency anemia?

Iron deficiency anemia refers to the anemia that occurs when the body's stored iron is depleted and can no longer meet the needs for normal red blood cell production. Before the production of red blood cells is limited, the body's iron stores are exhausted, but at this time, there are no obvious changes of anemia in the routine blood test; this condition is called iron deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia has its characteristics. Its main clinical manifestations are tissue and organ hypoxia caused by ischemia. Severe iron deficiency anemia can lead to mucosal tissue changes and some nutritional disorders, such as stomatitis, glossitis, atrophic gastritis, lack of gastric acid, dry skin, brittle hair, hair loss, and flat nails, among other changes. Therefore, any factors that cause iron deficiency in the body and affect iron absorption, including increased physiological iron demands, iron storage, and issues in iron excretion processes, can lead to iron deficiency anemia. The main causes can be divided into three aspects:1. Nutritional factors: Individuals such as infants, adolescents, menstruating women, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women are prone to nutritional iron deficiency anemia when the body's iron demand increases.2. Chronic blood loss: This includes gastrointestinal bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding in women, bleeding hemorrhoids in men, and chronic bleeding from gastrointestinal ulcers, all of which can cause iron deficiency anemia.3. Absorption disorders: Conditions like total or partial gastrectomy can lead to iron deficiency years after the surgery, resulting in iron deficiency anemia.

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Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
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Does iron deficiency anemia cause a yellow complexion?

No matter what type of anemia, it manifests as a decrease in hemoglobin. Red blood cells are the main cells that carry oxygen, so patients with anemia will have signs of ischemia and hypoxia to some extent, and anemia manifests as pallor in the skin and mucous membranes. Since Chinese are of the yellow race, the manifestation of anemia in Chinese patients often appears as a yellowish complexion. Therefore, patients with iron deficiency anemia can have a yellowish complexion. Of course, if there is obvious yellowing of the skin and sclera in addition to the yellowish complexion, further tests such as hemolysis indicators are needed to rule out hemolytic anemia, as patients with hemolytic anemia often have concurrent jaundice.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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Iron deficiency anemia lacks iron.

Iron deficiency anemia is an anemia caused by the lack of stored iron in the body, affecting the synthesis of hemoglobin. It is characterized by a lack of stainable iron in the bone marrow, liver, spleen, and other organ tissues, as well as decreased serum iron concentration, transferrin saturation, and ferritin levels, typically presenting as microcytic hypochromic anemia. Thus, iron deficiency anemia refers to a deficiency of iron. Iron is an essential trace element in the human body, involved in cellular functions and metabolic processes. The body has a strict regulatory mechanism for iron metabolism to ensure that iron levels are always maintained at a normal level, referred to as iron homeostasis. Iron homeostasis relies crucially on the balance between intestinal iron absorption and the body's iron requirements. Once this balance is disrupted, problems in iron distribution, absorption, transport, and storage may occur, leading to iron deficiency anemia.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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Diet for Iron Deficiency Anemia

Patients with iron-deficiency anemia need to undergo pharmacological treatment with oral or injective iron supplements. In addition, patient health education should be enhanced to guide them in following a scientific and reasonable diet. For example, patients who are picky eaters or have insufficient intake should change their dietary structure and lifestyle in order to increase iron intake and bioavailability. This ensures that all key nutrients involved in the production of red blood cells are sufficient. Moreover, it is necessary to increase the intake of iron-rich foods, mainly including animal liver, blood, as well as soybeans, black fungus, egg yolks, brown sugar, lean meat, sheep kidneys, dried fruits, and sesame paste.

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Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia

The treatment principles for iron deficiency anemia mainly involve two aspects. One is to identify the cause of the iron deficiency anemia. Once the cause is confirmed, fundamental treatment of the cause should be conducted to restore the body's normal iron stores. The second aspect is iron supplementation, which is recommended to be administered orally. The daily supplemental iron dose is approximately 150 to 200 milligrams, typically using ferrous preparations such as ferrous succinate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, and iron dextran. It is suggested that iron supplements be taken with meals or after meals to reduce gastrointestinal irritation caused by the medication. Additionally, it is advised to avoid consuming tea, coffee, and other substances that could interfere with iron absorption during the treatment period.