An inherited condition, much more common among people of African origin, where there is abnormal haemoglobin causing fragile sickle-shaped red blood cells, resulting in a variety of chronic health problems. In adults, anaemia is often a result of chronic bleeding, especially from the intestinal tract. If your doctor is worried that this may be a cause for anaemia in you, you may have to do regular tests on your faeces. But chronic blood loss may be a sign of a cancer or other life-threatening conditions in the gut. Most important is to locate the source of the bleeding.
Several medications can have harmful effects on the gastro-intestinal tract, leading to bleeding.
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