Ferritin is a protein produced by the liver, responsible for the storage of iron in the body. Thus, the examination of serious ferritin is done with the purpose of checking the lack or excess of iron in the organism, for example.
Normally, in healthy subjects the serum ferritin reference value is 23 to 336 ng / mL in men and 11 to 306 ng / mL in women, and may vary according to the laboratory. However, in the woman it is normal to have low ferritin in pregnancy due to the increase of the amount of blood and the passage of iron through the placenta to the baby.
The test does not require fasting to be done and is performed from blood sample. It is usually requested along with other laboratory tests such as hemogram, serious iron dosage and transferrin saturation, which is a protein synthesized mainly in the liver and which has the function of transporting iron through the body.
What is Low Ferritin?
Low ferritin means usually indicates that iron levels are low and, therefore, the liver does not produce ferritin, since there is no iron available to be stored. The main causes of low ferritin are:
- Iron deficiency anemia;
- Hypothyroidism;
- Gastrointestinal bleeding;
- Heavy menstrual bleeding;
- Food poor in iron and vitamin C;
Symptoms of low ferritin usually include tiredness, weakness, pallor, lack of appetite, hair loss, headaches and dizziness. Your treatment can be done with the daily intake of iron or with diets rich in foods with vitamin C and iron, such as meat, beans or orange. Get to know other iron-rich foods.
What is Ferritin High?
Symptoms of high ferritin may indicate excessive iron accumulation, but in some cases it may also be a symptom of inflammation or infection, and is associated with:
- Hemolytic anemia;
- Megaloblastic anemia;
- Alcoholic liver disease;
- Hodgkin's lymphoma;
- Myocardial infarction in men;
- Leukemia;
- Hemochromatosis - Understand hemochromatosis and how to identify the symptoms.
Generally, the symptoms of excess ferritin are joint pain, tiredness, shortness of breath or abdominal pain and treatment for high ferritin depends on the cause but is usually also supplemented with blood withdrawal to balance iron levels and adoption of diets with few foods rich in iron or vitamin C. See the symptoms of excess iron in the body and how to treat excess iron in the blood.
