Folic acid deficiency anemia: causes, risk factors, symptoms

What are the causes of folic acid deficiency anemia?

• Alcoholism is a common cause of folic acid deficiency anemia. Alcohol interferes with the absorption of several nutrients especially the B vitamins, folate.
• Poor diets, don't eat enough foods that contain folic acid, the elderly and infants, especially those with infections or diarrhea.
• Impaired absorption, intestinal dysfunction from malabsorption diseases such as celiac disease, tropical sprue, regional jejunitis, Crohn's disease, or bowel resection.
• Bacteria competing for available folic acid.
• Overcooking of food, destroying valuable water-soluble nutrients, including a high percentage of folic acid
• Certain medicines, such as some used for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and seizures, can impair the absorption of folic acid.
• Not addressing increased folic acid needs of certain age groups, as well as in patients with neoplastic diseases and some skin disorders.

What are the risk factors for folic acid deficiency anemia?

• Age over 60, especially those who have poor nutrition.
• Pregnancy.
• The growth of children and adolescents.
• Illness, such as tropical sprue, psoriasis, acne rosacea, eczema or dermatitis herpetiformis.
• Surgical removal of the stomach.
• Smoking, which decreases vitamin C absorption. Vitamin C is necessary for folic-acid absorption.
• Use of certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, anticonvulsants, methotrexate, triamterene or sulfasalazine.

What are symptoms of folic acid deficiency anemia?
Signs and symptoms of folic acid deficiency anemia gradually produces clinical features similar to other megaloblastic anemias. Symptoms include the following:

• fatigue
• anorexia nervosa
• pale skin
• headache
• weakness
• heart palpitations
• diarrhea
• irritability
• glossitis (inflammation of the tongue)
• weight loss