Causes of Low Hemoglobin
A low hemoglobin level can be related to a disease or condition that makes your body to have too few red blood cells. A slight lower level of hemoglobin does not always imply a sign of illness. It can be normal for some people. For example, women with menstrual period and pregnant women frequently have low hemoglobin count. There are some other diseases that can cause low hemoglobin.
Diseases and Medical Conditions
Diseases that make the body synthesize fewer red blood cells than normal are: aplastic anemia [6], cancer, lead poisoning, multiple myeloma, leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, myelodysplastic syndromes, iron deficiency anemia, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Hodgkin’s disease), certain medications which include antiretroviral drugs for HIV infection and chemotherapy drugs for cancer and other conditions, vitamin deficiency (specifically B12 or folate).
When the body fails to produce the required amount of hemoglobin, it means there is a problem with the red blood cells or there is not enough minerals or vitamins for the red blood cells to form normally.
Diseases and medical conditions that make your body destroy red blood cells faster, including enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), hemolysis, porphyria, sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.
A low hemoglobin count can also be caused by blood loss, which can happen because of Bleeding in the digestive tract, caused by conditions like ulcers, cancers or hemorrhoids, frequent blood donation and menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding).