Many patients who have digestive problems are also anemic due to low iron or low vitamin B12 levels.
What exactly is anemia?
Anemia is a common blood disorder that occurs when there's a decrease in the number of red blood cells (RBCs) and/or an existence of poorly formed red blood cells. These are the cells in your blood that carry oxygen. If you are anemic, you will feel tired, because you are not delivering as much oxygen to your body as someone who is not anemic.
Can this cause IBS?
People with IBS and related digestive problems often have a problem absorbing nutrients. This is particularly obvious with diarrhea, which is clearly a malabsorption issue. However, the same problem in absorbing nutrients can also happen with constipation.
This is why many people with IBS also suffer from chronic anemia. They are not absorbing the iron and/or vitamin B12 that's in their food, and that digestive problem can lead to other problems such as anemia.
Stephen Wangen, MD, shares what IBS is and whether or not it can cause an iron deficiency.
Can IBS Cause an Iron Deficiency?
How can you catch low iron before you become anemic?
Additional Info
- Segment Number: 2
- Audio File: health_radio/1544ml1b.mp3
- Featured Speaker: Stephen Wangen, MD
- Guest Website: IBS Treatment Center
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Guest Bio:
Dr. Stephen Wangen is the Medical Director and co-founder of the IBS Treatment Center. He has been seen and heard on ABC, NBC, and Fox as well as public radio and television.
Having suffered from IBS himself, Dr. Wangen dedicated his life to solving this complex problem. Since 2005 the IBS Treatment Center has successfully helped thousands of patients from around the country end their digestive problems. - Length (mins): 10
- Waiver Received: Yes
- Host: Melanie Cole, MS
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Health Radio
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