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Constant fatigue can be a symptom of many health problems. One of the potential causes of the perceived weakness of the body is a deficiency of ferritin, a protein associated with iron levels. What symptoms indicate a deficiency of ferritin? When should its level be tested?
- Ferritin deficiency can show signs of tiredness, pale skin and trouble concentrating
- Niewłaściwe stężenie ferrytyny może się wiązać z niskim żelazem i hemoglobiną
- Ferritin testing is helpful in the diagnosis of anemia, inflammation and cancer
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
What is the relationship between ferritin and iron and hemoglobin?
Ferritin is an acute phase protein found primarily in the cells of the liver, spleen and immune system. One of the functions of ferritin is the storage of iron ions, while iron is responsible for the synthesis of hemoglobin. This means that ferritin is useful in the diagnosis of anemia. Dlaczego jednak właśnie ona? Czy nie wystarczy pomiar stężenia żelaza i poziomu hemoglobiny?
Fatigue, pale skin, and trouble concentrating may indicate illness. Do not wait – thanks to the tests you can check if your body has developed anemia. uPatient offers anemia E-packet – diagnostic tests. You don’t even have to go to the collection point – the test can be ordered at home.
Anemia, or anemia, is a disease caused by low levels of hemoglobin in the body. There are different types of anemia, including haemorrhagic anemia, haemolytic anemia and megaloblastic anemia, but the most commonly diagnosed is iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, testing the iron level is very important in the diagnosis of anemia. However, it is complemented by the ferritin test, which allows to additionally determine the iron reserve. This means that ferritin allows you to more accurately determine what iron resources the body has at its disposal and allows you to more accurately diagnose the actual deficiency of this element.
It should be remembered that abnormal ferritin levels can be associated not only with anemia, but also with inflammation or cancer.
If you want to supplement your diet with iron, you can reach for the beetroot + supplement with iron and vitamin C, the mild iron Easy Iron Terranova or the iron Complex Viridian with the addition of vitamin C, B12 and folic acid.
Ferritin deficiency – Fatigue and other symptoms
One of the symptoms of ferritin deficiency, and also associated with iron deficiency, is constant fatigue. It is also worth paying attention to other ailments, including problems with concentration, pale skin, hair loss, faster heart rate or reduced immunity. These symptoms can occur as a result of an improperly balanced diet, restrictive weight loss, as well as a vegan or vegetarian diet.
If you want to find out about the causes of fatigue that often accompanies you, reach for Fatigue – a package of tests for people at risk of overloading the body. Sampling can take place in comfortable home conditions.
Ferritin deficiency also occurs in women with heavy menstruation, chronic gastrointestinal or urinary bleeding, patients with impaired iron absorption and some rare diseases.
When is it worth testing your ferritin concentration?
The basic indications for measuring ferritin are abnormalities in the morphology results, especially with low levels of iron and hemoglobin. The doctor may also order the examination based on the history collected and the patient’s symptoms.
Increased ferritin may be accompanied by general weakness, constipation and flatulence.
Ferritin not only supports the diagnosis of anemia. It is also an acute-phase protein, so not only its deficiency is worrying, but also its excess. Elevated ferritin levels may indicate ongoing inflammation in your body. Sometimes it means only a minor infection, but it can also indicate more serious health problems, e.g. chronic inflammatory processes, cancer or haemochromatosis.
Assess cancer risk, do women’s cancer e-packet or men’s cancer e-pack. The research includes, inter alia, morphology, ESR and antigens specific to cancer of women and men.
Zobacz: Anemia and hyperemia – what should you know about them?
Before testing ferritin, we should stop taking iron supplements, as taking them may affect the results. Self-supplementation of iron is also generally not recommended – it is recommended to initially diagnose the causes of deficiencies, and then to conduct treatment under the supervision of a doctor.
We can take care of the correct level of iron in the blood, and thus the level of ferritin within the normal range, thanks to an appropriate diet. Well-absorbed iron (its heme variety) is found in pork, beef and rabbit meat, in offal and fatty fish. In the case of a plant-based diet, it is important to combine sources of iron with products containing vitamin C, which has a positive effect on the absorption of this element.
You can measure the ferritin yourself by ordering the home-based ferritin test cassette available at Medonet Market.
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