Why do most women have an anemia? Most of the mothers are affected with iron deficiency anemia due to excessive loss of blood during giving birth, menstruation and other factors like miscarriage, bleeding from the stomach, or having cancer or a parasite like hookworm. Menstrual bleeding and giving birth may reduce the iron stored in the body.



Human bodies need minerals and vitamins to function properly. Therefore, a body may not function properly, it only produce too small amount red blood cells because the iron is lacking.

Women need to take 15 milligrams of iron daily as compared to men that need only 10 milligrams. Pregnant mothers need more iron than the normal because both mother and fetus uses iron. The fetus needs iron for the development of its red blood cells and muscle.

Iron is a chief element in making hemoglobin and red blood cells and plays an important role in order for the body to function properly. Iron is needed to help the red blood cells deliver oxygen throughout the entire body.

A body gets more iron from the food you eat if you have less iron stored. But if the body already has more iron stored, its absorption will decrease. One of the reasons other women have iron deficiency anemia is that they suffered from crhon or celiac disease - the inability of the small intestine to absorb iron from the food they eat.

Women who have iron deficiency anemia feel they are weak and tired, have swelling of the tongue, look pale, and are irritable. But women cannot diagnose that they have iron deficiency because they think it is normal to experience weakness and tired after long hours of work.

What should women do to avoid or prevent anemia? Women are advised to take vitamins that contain iron to replace the iron loss during menstruation, giving birth or any situation in which a women loses blood.

They should eat nutritious foods like red meat, liver, raisins, spinach, broccoli, some fish, beans, dried fruit and egg yolks with adequate iron content so that body have a lot of iron to sustain. It is also recommended that they eat cereals that are fortified with iron.

Consult a physician for appropriate treatment to reduce or prevent the effect of anemia. Doctors can recognize a decrease level of hemoglobin and recommend the right amount of iron to take. Too much iron can cause heart and liver damage. Iron deficiency anemia if not treated will become worse.