How to Identify Anemia Risk Factors

Anemia is a condition that nearly everyone has heard of but that too few people seek treatment for. Many people, young women especially, suffer from decreased iron levels in the blood, which can result in low energy, listlessness and even anxiety and depression. If you know what to look for, however, you can talk to your doctor and schedule a fast and easy blood test.

Things You'll Need

• Willingness to identify risk factors, including alcoholism

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Instructions

Look for the Most Common Factors

• 1

  Ask yourself if you are listless and if your lack of energy seems to linger and have no obvious cause (such as lack of sleep from the night before). Low iron levels cause many people to function at low levels.

• 2

  Realize many sufferers just assume they are "low-energy" people without realizing that this is a condition that's easily fixed in most cases.

• 3

  Be aware that women who menstruate are at high risk of iron deficiency. If you are concerned about anemia, ask your doctor to schedule a blood test at your local lab.

Become Aware of Rare Anemia Risk Factors

• 4

  Ask your doctor to test you for anemia if you suffer from bleeding internal lesions in your body. Sometimes people who have lesions in their gastrointestinal tracts have depressed iron levels.

• 5

  Get tested for anemia if you have parasites. Hookworm, whipworm and other types of parasitic infections can result in anemic iron levels.

• 6

  Talk to your doctor if you have an autoimmune condition. If you do, you may be experiencing deficiencies of B12 or folic acid, which can, in turn, lead to anemia.

• 7

  Be aware that alcoholism and many other chronic diseases can reduce blood iron levels, as can chemotherapy treatments. If you are suffering from a chronic disease or are getting chemotherapy treatment, ask your doctor to be tested for anemia.