Final answer:
Anemia can be caused by factors such as faulty or decreased red blood cell production, disease processes, blood loss, aplastic anemia, and lead exposure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anemia can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of the common causes of anemia include:
- Faulty or decreased red blood cell (RBC) production, such as in sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin deficiency anemia, and diseases of the bone marrow and stem cells.
- Disease processes like chronic kidney diseases, hypothyroidism, certain forms of cancer, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Blood loss anemias, which can occur due to bleeding from wounds or lesions, ulcers, hemorrhoids, gastric inflammation, or certain gastrointestinal tract cancers.
- Aplastic anemia, which occurs when there are deficient numbers of RBC stem cells, and can be inherited or triggered by factors like radiation, medication, chemotherapy, or infection.
- Lead exposure from industrial sources or exposure to lead-containing paints or pottery.