Ferritin test

Overview:

A ferritin test helps to find out how much ferritin is present in the blood. Ferritin is a blood protein that has iron in it.

Iron is required in the body to produce red blood cells. These red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs and transport it to the entire body. Proper iron levels are important in the body to keep muscles, different organs, and the bone marrow healthy. It also helps to ensure proper brain development in children. The body saves extra iron from the ferritin for later use. This extra iron gets stored in the liver and the cells of the immune system. When the body uses the iron, the cells release small amounts of ferritin in the blood. The test detects the ferritin that is released. Through the test, it can be detected how much iron is there in a person’s body. Depending on the results it can be found out if the person has an iron deficiency or not.

The normal range for blood ferritin in a human body is:

11 to 307 micrograms per liter in women

24 to 336 micrograms per liter in men.

Low ferritin levels indicate an Iron deficiency and leads to anemia in the human body. If the ferritin levels are high, it indicates various medical conditions.

The Medical Conditions that High Ferritin Levels Indicate Are:

Liver problems.
Rheumatoid arthritis,
Hyperthyroidism
Certain cancers.
High ferritin values can also indicate a medical condition called hemochromatosis, which causes the body to absorb excessive iron from food.
A type of inflammatory arthritis condition called Still Disease.
A condition that is caused by insufficient enzymes in the body called porphyria.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Frequent blood transfusions.
Alcohol abuse.
Intake of too many iron supplements.
Restless legs syndrome which means tingling or a burning feeling in the legs.

If a person has high ferritin levels, the doctor recommends further investigations.

What Are the Symptoms Of Improper Ferritin Levels In The Body:

If the ferritin levels are low, a person may experience the following symptoms:

Breathlessness.
Tiredness and weakness.
Dizziness.
Irregular or fast heartbeats.
Pale skin.

Symptoms of high levels of ferritin include:

Fatigue and weakness.
Pain in the joints, specifically in the knees and hands.
Erectile dysfunction.
Change in the color of the skin. The skin tends to look greyish or brownish.
Abdominal pain.
Weight loss.

Who Is The Ferritin Test Recommended For:

The test is recommended by the doctor for the following people:

People who have a lower weight than normal.
Women with heavy menstrual bleeding.
Pregnant women.
People who have complications related to the absorption of food like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
People who have had certain gastrointestinal surgical procedures.

The Procedure Of A Ferritin Test:

If a person is undergoing the ferritin test, there may be certain restrictions on food and water intake before the test, and the procedure is usually done in the morning. However, if there are other tests that have been prescribed by the doctor along with the ferritin test then it is advisable to contact the laboratory and get detailed instructions. The procedure is very simple and quick. The laboratory professional locates the vein and disinfects the area. They then insert a needle into the vein of a person, usually in the arm, and take a certain amount of blood. The person may feel a slight sting which goes away within a few seconds. The blood is collected and put in a tube.

A band-aid is placed at the site where the blood is taken. The blood sample is sent to the laboratory for testing. The machine that checks the sample is called the analyzer. The person can resume normal activities immediately after the test. Since the sample of the blood collected is very less, the person may not feel any weakness after the procedure.

The result usually takes around 24 hours and the person is notified by the hospital or the clinic to collect their results. The doctor should be consulted after the results and they may advise on medication or conduct more investigations depending on the values revealed in the blood report.

The risks involved in the test are very minimal. However, there may be bruising sometimes at the spot where the blood is collected. But it goes away within some hours.

What Does The Blood Report Of A Ferritin Test Include:

The blood investigation report has the following components:

The name of the blood test and which sample is collected for measurement.
The value or the levels indicated in the blood sample.
The normal range of levels for comparison.
Indication if the person’s levels are high or low or within the normal range.

Is the Ferritin Test Always Accurate?

There are certain factors that may influence the accuracy of the ferritin test. They include:

The first thing to remember is that the high or low levels of ferritin are not always indicative of a health condition.
Factors like what the person has eaten can affect the ferritin values in the blood sample.
Further, inflammatory conditions can also influence ferritin levels in the blood.
There can be an error sometimes in the collection, transport, or processing of the blood sample and it may show inaccurate levels.

Conclusion:

It is very natural for a person to be worried if they get an abnormal test result. But a ferritin test that shows high or low levels does not always indicate a serious health condition. Many people’s reports reveal high ferritin levels due to multiple reasons. The test may help to find out certain conditions that the doctor may need further investigation for. But the good part is that most conditions can be treated successfully with medications, modifications in the diet, and various other therapies. The important thing to note is that no investigation should be conducted without the advice of the doctor, and the results should be discussed with the doctor in detail before taking any medications.

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