Blood circulates in the human body, one of the functions of which is to supply body cells with oxygen. Red blood cells called erythrocytes do this. They contain iron, thanks to which oxygen is transported.
Without enough iron, red blood cells will not be able to carry enough oxygen. However, too much iron is not good for the human body either. Both high and low iron levels can indicate a serious illness.
If your doctor suspects that you have iron deficiency or possible iron overload, he may order a ferritin test. This measures the amount of iron stored in your body, so your doctor can get an overall picture of your iron levels.
What is ferritin?
Ferritin is not the same as iron in your body. Ferritin is a protein produced in the human body, the main purpose of which is to store iron. In other words, they are iron-storing proteins and are found in many blood components. People with low ferritin levels are at high risk of iron deficiency. Excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, and liver diseases such as hepatitis are some of the causes of low ferritin.
It should be noted that a low ferritin level does not mean that a person will immediately be diagnosed with iron deficiency. There have been cases of patients with normal iron levels despite blood tests showing ferritin deficiency. Although ferritin levels affect iron levels in the blood, they do not cause a sudden drop in iron levels. Iron deficiency is a slow process and always occurs over a period of time. When there is not enough iron in the blood, the use of ferritin occurs. Iron from ferritin is then released into the body to compensate for low iron levels in the blood. Iron stores from ferritin slowly begin to decrease to ensure that blood iron levels remain normal. However, over time, declining ferritin levels are unable to supply enough iron, eventually leading to iron deficiency. Ferritin normally resides in the cells of your body, and very little of it circulates in your blood.
The highest concentrations of ferritin are found in cells of the liver (known as hepatocytes) and in the immune system (known as reticuloendothelial cells).
Ferritin is stored in the body's cells until it is time to make more red blood cells. The body will signal the cells to release ferritin. Ferritin then binds to another substance called transferrin.
Transferrin is a protein that binds to ferritin to transport it to the site where new red blood cells are made. Think of transferrin as a dedicated iron taxi.
The purpose of the ferritin test. Knowing whether you have too much or too little ferritin in your blood can tell your doctor about your total iron levels. The more ferritin in your blood, the more iron you have in your body.
Low ferritin. Your doctor may order a ferritin test if you have any of the following symptoms associated with low ferritin:
inexplicable fatigue,
dizziness,
chronic headaches,
unexplained weakness,
tinnitus,
irritability
leg pains
shortness of breath.
High ferritin. You may also have very high ferritin levels, which can also cause unpleasant symptoms. Symptoms of excess ferritin include:
stomach ache,
unexplained weakness,
joint pain
unexplained fatigue.
Ferritin levels can also increase due to damage to your organs such as your liver and spleen.
The test can also be used to monitor your general health, especially if you have an iron-altering condition that causes your blood to be too much or too little.
Causes of low ferritin levels. A lower than normal level of ferritin may indicate that you have an iron deficiency, which can happen when you don't get enough iron in your daily diet.
Another condition that affects iron levels is anemia, where you don't have enough red blood cells to attach iron to.
There may be additional reasons:
excessive menstrual bleeding,
stomach diseases affecting intestinal absorption,
internal bleeding.
Knowing whether your ferritin level is low or normal can help your doctor better determine the cause. For example, a person with anemia will have low iron and low ferritin in their blood. However, a person with a chronic disease may have low blood iron levels but normal or high ferritin levels.
Causes of high ferritin levels. Too much ferritin can indicate certain diseases or conditions.
One example is hemochromatosis, where your body absorbs too much iron.
Other conditions that increase iron levels include:
rheumatoid arthritis,
hyperthyroidism,
Still's disease in adults,
type 2 diabetes,
Leukemia,
Hodgkin's lymphoma,
iron poisoning,
frequent blood transfusions,
liver disease such as chronic hepatitis C.
Ferritin is what is known as an acute phase reactant. This means that when the body experiences inflammation, ferritin levels will increase. This is why ferritin levels can be high in people with liver disease or cancer such as Hodgkin lymphoma.
As you already know, ferritin is stored in liver cells. When a person's liver is damaged, ferritin inside the cells begins to be released. Therefore, there is a higher level of ferritin in people with these and other inflammatory diseases.
The most common causes of elevated ferritin are obesity, inflammation, and daily alcohol consumption. There may also be reasons related to genetics. For example, when the cause of the increase in ferritin concentration is hemochromatosis.
If your ferritin test results are high, your doctor will likely order other tests that can provide more information about the amount of iron in your body. It can be
an iron test, which measures the amount of iron circulating in your body, and a total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) test, which measures the amount of transferrin in your body.
When should you worry?
When ferritin levels begin to decrease and fall below normal, it becomes difficult for the body to retain iron. As iron stores gradually decrease, a person is bound to experience symptoms of iron deficiency at some point. Therefore, you should be worried if you have recurring migraine headaches, dizziness, poor appetite, cold hands and feet, as these are some of the symptoms associated with ferritin deficiency. It has also been observed that the thyroid gland does not function properly if the ferritin level is lower than normal. As a result, the thyroid gland cannot produce enough hormones. This condition is called hypothyroidism and causes many health problems.
Other symptoms to worry about:
fatigue; and chronic fatigue in particular is often associated with low ferritin levels. A person gets tired easily and cannot tolerate even moderate physical exertion.
decreased energy level; because people with low ferritin also experience a sudden loss of energy. They feel exhausted from their daily routine. Endurance for any physical activity is greatly reduced.
hair loss; early hair loss occurs when ferritin levels fall below the normal range because hair follicles (the sacs from which hair strands originate) contain an important component of ferritin, and therefore a decrease in ferritin levels negatively affects hair growth.
pale cold skin; because ferritin is also present in the skin, just below the epidermis, as ferritin levels decrease, the skin looks dry and pale.
brittle nails; one of the signs of ferritin deficiency, as low ferritin levels lead to iron deficiency, which often causes nail abnormalities.
difficulty breathing; is a likely consequence of untreated
ferritin deficiency because iron in the blood plays a critical role in transporting enough oxygen from the lungs to various parts of the body. Not surprisingly, low iron levels can make it difficult for people to breathe properly.
Even symptoms such as sleepiness, fatigue, negative mood and difficulty concentrating can be signs of ferritin deficiency. Therefore, do not wait until more severe symptoms appear, and after the tests, start taking medicines to replenish ferritin reserves.
