Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anemia. The 2 main etiologies of iron deficiency are blood loss due to menstrual periods and blood loss due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Beyond anemia, lack of iron has protean manifestations, including fatigue, hair loss, and restless legs. The most efficient test for the diagnosis of iron deficiency is the serum ferritin. Iron replacement can be done orally, or in patients in whom oral iron is not effective or contraindicated, with intravenous iron.