Some people may vehemently wish they weren’t a weakling, but they also realize there’s nothing to be done about that. You can get through life fairly capably even if you’re lacking in the strength department, but that’s only physical strength we’re talking about. If you lack mental fortitude then you’re going to be in for a rough ride, sad to say. Some of the people with irritable bowel syndrome may be strong in either way, but they may be wondering if they’re any weaker because of their digestion disorder. So the question then becomes can IBS cause anemia? 

Experiencing weakness isn’t the definition for anemia though, but it is the primary symptom along with the individual being tired and short of breath despite no real level of exertion. Anemia is the result of having a low red blood cell count. Muscles require oxygen to do the work they do, and if they need to do that work without the sufficient amount of oxygen being provided then they’re not going to be very keen to do it. This is the source of the weakness that people experience, but there’s no flip side to this with can anemia cause IBS.  

That’s not what’s happening if you’ve recently been diagnosed with IBS, and so let’s stay on track with our look at can IBS cause anemia. It is a possible to develop anemia because of irritable bowel syndrome, and it has everything to do with whether you are able to get enough iron from your diet. Most people will have heard of iron-deficiency anemia, and it’s this variant of the condition that people will be at risk of if they have IBS. Continuing reading here and we’ll explain how that works.  

Gone Too Soon 

Bowel movements are the most important part of the body’s waste elimination process, and we don’t need to explain why. But when a person has irritable bowel syndrome they may have the misfortune of seeing those movements going a little bit haywire. If that means excessive diarrhea or passing waste that’s not fully processed yet it can mean that they are losing nutritional value from the food they eat. If that means they’re not getting the iron they need then that’s the scenario needed for can IBS cause anemia.  

If you aren’t getting enough iron from your diet for any reason it can mean that you get anemia. But if you aren’t able to get the nutrient from food in the way you should because of IBS then that’s going to be the reason for it. People who have irritable bowel syndrome may experience it differently than others who also have it, and for some people dietary avoidances may be recommended to improve digestion at home.  

Another possibility with can IBS cause anemia is that when they are not eating certain foods to reduce to IBS flareups then it may be that they’re not getting enough iron. This is even more likely if it is red meat that they need to be avoiding.