University of Iowa Health Science Relations and
Ronald Strauss, MD
Professor of Pathology/Pediatrics
First Published: November 2000
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

If you feel too tired and sluggish to keep up with your everyday demands, you may lack more than energy. You may have anemia, a condition that deprives blood of the oxygen needed for organs to function properly.

"Anemia is defined as a low red blood cell count. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues," explains Dr. Ronald Strauss, professor of pathology and pediatrics at the University of Iowa College of Medicine and a staff physician at the UI Hospitals and Clinics. "When organs are not receiving enough oxygen, a person feels weak or faint."

Strauss says anemia is most common among rapidly growing, poor, minority children in inner cities. "About one-third of these children have significant iron deficiency," he says. Rapidly growing children are more susceptible to anemia because they run out of stored iron quickly as the bone marrow tries to keep up with body growth. Their diets change, and not all eat a proper diet. Blood cannot always be produced fast enough for the needs of these growing bodies.

The most predisposed group of adults to be afflicted with anemia is women of childbearing years who become iron deficient due to menstruation or pregnancy. Because adults generally have finished growing and many follow a reasonable diet, anemia is uncommon unless an illness develops, Strauss says. When an illness, such as chronic kidney disease or bone marrow disease, does cause severe anemia, the anemia is eliminated as the disease is treated.

Another cause of this condition is the lack of other nutrients in the body, such as vitamin B12 or folic acid. In these cases, proper diet usually controls the condition, Strauss says. Anemia also may be due to a congenital, or inherited, condition. Once it is diagnosed, a physician determines the condition's severity, treatment, and possible limitations.

People with moderate anemia may be limited in exercise because of their fatigue. However, those with sedentary lifestyles may not notice any change. In fact, mild anemia may go undetected until a simple blood count is completed. "The body compensates pretty well for this." Strauss says, "by increasing the workload of the heart and lungs to deliver sufficient oxygen throughout the body. When anemia is severe, heart failure becomes a potential problem because of that added work."

Anyone who suspects they may have anemia should contact their physician before trying to cure themselves. "It is important to know the cause of anemia. People might spend money unnecessarily on home remedies for anemia while ignoring a more serious underlying problem," Strauss says.