Ferritin Test - It's uses and advantages for the body

A ferritin test happens when blood is extracted from the body with the sole purpose of summarizing the total amount of ferritin present in the body. Ferritin’s role in the body is a protein that is capable of storing iron. In case the body is needed for any iron, ferritin is activated and releases some reserved iron for the body to utilize.

Through the measurement of the ferritin levels in your body, medical professionals can accurately determine how much ferritin levels are within your body. This is the perfect test for checking the blood for any signs of iron deficiency, anemia, and even excess amounts of iron in the body leading to Hemochromatosis.

 

Why is an Iron Ferritin Test important?

 

Iron is one of the more vital nutrients that are required for the body to grow at a nominal rate. It can help with the following functions, such as

• Heavily improving the production quality of Hemoglobin, which is the main reason how oxygen is carried through the body through red blood cells.

• Supports the growth of muscles and their overall wellbeing.

• Ferritin is also responsible for boosting the body’s immunity levels and strengthening the immune system.

• It is also responsible for keeping the energy levels in the body in check while also ensuring the proper utilization of the energy in an appropriate way, maintaining the levels in an efficient manner.

There are times when the iron stores within your body become too low due to some circumstances that the body may or may not be in control of. The feeling of weakness, fatigue and even dizziness may overcome individuals experiencing low levels of ferritin. In case an individual has ferritin reserves that are above the normal amount needed in an average body, the resulting damages can spread to the heart, the liver and even the lungs.

These two main reasons are why Ferritin tests are considered a top priority test and are heavily recommended for these specific reasons.

• The test can clarify whether the patient may have been suffering from Iron Deficiency Anemia and notifies the doctor of its presence through the test.

• Ferritin tests are able to look into the causes for chronic forms of fatigue and illness and weakness.

• This test can also be used for the monitoring of iron levels in patients who might be suffering from low or high levels of Ferritin, which can also transpire into conditions such as kidney diseases.

• Ferritin tests are also used in keeping track of the ferritin levels present in individuals who are getting or have just received Iron Therapy or some blood transfusions.

 

Who is required to receive a Ferritin Test?

 

The doctor you are visiting may ask you for taking this particular test if you showcased any of the following symptoms down below.

• Feeling a sense of fatigue and tiredness that overcomes you instantly.

• Your skin color becomes pale due to the ferritin levels in your blood.

• Experiencing a shortness of breath.

• Having sudden inexplicable pains in your chest that comes and goes.

• Feeling very dizzy and light-hearted, even if you are doing nothing.

• The hands and feet of the patient become very clammy and cold to the touch.

• Gradual amounts of hair loss.

• Legs that show signs of being very restless and cannot stop moving about.

• Patients can also get massive inflammation and severe joint pains and aches in the cases of high amounts of ferritin in the blood.

The ferritin test is especially useful for individuals who are as follows, such as:

• Pregnant women and mothers-to-be.

• Patients who have been experiencing intense chronic illnesses and diseases.

• Individuals who have been stated to have iron deficiencies and an overload of ferritin in their body.

• Individuals who are known to frequently donate their blood.

• Women who are going through some really strong periods.

 

How is the ferritin test done?

 

Step-by-Step Procedure

• There is no fasting required for this test until and unless your doctors have advised for it.

• A small sample of your blood is taken through a thin and small needle that is injected into a vein in your arm for sample collection.

• This is only supposed to take a small fraction of time of around 5 to 10 minutes.

• The samples are then sent to a medical lab for data collection and testing for any further complications and conditions you may have.

• The results for the test are often given 24 to 48 hours after the samples have been taken.

It is a relatively painless and quick procedure, and the only discomfort is felt when the needle pricks your skin to collect the blood samples for testing.

Normal Ferritin Range

The average and normal ranges of ferritin reserves located in the body have varied very slightly due to the laboratory, the gender of the patient, and how old they are. The general ranges of ferritin are as follows:

• Adult Men – 24 to 336ng/ml

• Adult  Women – 11 to 307ng/ml

• Children between 6 months and 15 years of age – 7 to 140ng/ml

•  Newborn babies – 25 to 200 mg/ml

Note – You must always try and choose the specific reference ranges that your doctors have recommended on their report of your ferritin levels.

Understanding the Ferritin report

The purpose of the ferritin report is that gives insight into the numerical values of the ferritin present in the blood and gives a complete comparison to the ranges provided by medical facilities. There are different ranges when it comes to ferritin levels, and what they may indicate.

Low Level Ferritin

Low levels of ferritin in your blood have many indications that may lead to complications such as:

• Anemia is related to a deficiency of iron in the body.

• Large amounts of blood loss in the body, such as ulcers and heavy periods.

• Very poor amounts of iron are being absorbed into the body, which has led to Celiac Disease.

• At rare occasions, even pregnancies have been formed due to the body’s increased demand of iron and ferritin levels.

• Not enough ferritin levels may also indicate a malnourished body with little to no essential nutrients present in the body that have iron within them.

These are some of the most prominent indicators of low ferritin levels present in the body.

• Showing extreme signs of fatigue and tiredness.

• Patients can also experience intense bouts of weakness that overcome them.

•  Pale skin is also a very clear indicator of having very low amounts of ferritin in the body.

•  Having hair loss is another strong indicator of having low levels of ferritin present in the body.

• Lastly, an intense headache will always accompany the small amounts of ferritin within the body.

High Ferritin Levels (Above Normal Ranges)

Having abnormally large amounts of ferritin that have been found in the blood can be indicative of:

• Hemachromatosis, which is an iron overload disorder which creates an excess amount of iron into ferritin.

• Liver Disease, where high amounts of ferritin can cause the liver to malfunction.

• Certain Inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, can be due to the excess amounts of ferritin in the body.

• It can also give rise to chronic infections that are related to the elevated levels of ferritin in the patient.

• Cancer can also play a part in the elevation of ferritin levels.

• Too much consumption of alcohol has several ramifications when it comes to the increasing levels of ferritin in the blood.

There are also various symptoms that come along with the higher levels of ferritin that are in the body.

• Severe amounts of joint pain are a serious indicator for potential high doses of ferritin in the body.

• Experiencing stomach and abdominal pains that are very hard to get rid of.

• Large amounts of fatigue can be another strong indicator for having high levels of ferritin that are in the body.

•  Problems that are related to the liver might be because of the high amounts of ferritin that might influence the liver.

• Having an irregular heartbeat can indicate the impact of a large amount of ferritin present in the body.

 

What can affect the ferritin levels in the body?

 

Ferritin levels are able to fluctuate depending on the factors that have been presented before them, and these factors can have long-lasting impact if not taken care of promptly.

• Iron supplements or injections full of iron might have been solid indicators of affecting levels of ferritin in a major way, especially if they have been taken recently.

• Diabetes, kidney diseases and other chronic illnesses can be a strong factor for affecting the levels of ferritin present in the body in a fairly negative manner.

• Infections and any sort of inflammations that are present in the body can also be influenced by the varying levels of ferritin.

• For female patients, menstruation and pregnancy have had several ties with the inflating levels of ferritin in their bodies.

•  If the patient has taken any form of blood donation or a donation drive prior, that may be a strong sign for their fluctuating levels of ferritin in their blood.

• If the diet of the patient has very little content of iron in them, the ferritin levels may take a massive hit and falter.

It is imperative that you contact your personal doctor to and inform them of any iron supplements that you have been taking to have a better understanding of your position or if you have caught any unsuspecting illnesses prior to the ferritin exam to rule out any other conditions that may have been brought up during the tests and results have been completed and sent.

 

What to do if you have an abnormal ferritin level?

 

In case of lower ferritin levels

• Your doctor will recommend you to take some iron supplements which can either be a tablet or a syrup.

• Increase the amounts of iron-rich foods that are available for consumption, such as red meat, green leafy vegetables, lentils and even fortified cereals for a better chance at regaining essential amounts of iron for your body.

• Get professional treatments for any causes that are not found immediately such as ulcers and large amounts of heavy periods for women specifically.

If there a higher amount of ferritin levels than normal

• You may be asked to stop the usage of iron supplements entirely to prevent any further increase of ferritin levels in the body.

• There are also some blood removal therapies that can be prescribed for reducing the amount of ferritin in the body (known as Phlebotomy), mostly due to the fact that Hemochromatosis.

• Another type of ferritin removal procedure is the Chelation therapy which is mainly used for removing any excess amount of iron in the body.

• Immediately start treating the underlying conditions due to their connection with the rise of ferritin levels present within the body.

 

What is the cost of a ferritin test in India?

 

Determining the prices for a ferritin test for India will be on the price ranges each test can offer can be quite simple. It all depends on how many particular labs ask for along with their services that come alongside it.

• The prices usually range anywhere between Rs. 350 to at most Rs. 800 depending on the city and what type of lab is used for testing the ferritin samples.

• However, there are still quite a few premium and top notch labs that ask for a lot more than what is required.

The ferritin test packages offered by a lot of medical institutions often add other tests, such as anemia profiles, iron panels and even complete full body checkups for a clearer diagnosis.

 

How are ferritin tests booked online?

 

It is a rather simple process in getting a ferritin test ready and booked. All that is required to be done is to follow these easy steps.

• Make sure you have chosen an extremely reliable medical facility or diagnostic lab, such as Mediyaar healthcare, Dr. Lal Pathlabs, Thyrocare, etc.

• Select the ferritin test package that best suits the symptoms and signs that have been displayed by your body.

• There is an option for getting either a home sample collection or a complete overview at a lab.

• You will be receiving some of the best reports of the ferritin test via an email sent directly from the lab or through your personal whatsapp in about 1 to2 days after the has been taken.

 

An Iron Test and Ferritin test, what is the difference?

 

Both of these tests have had their similarities both originating with the term Iron, with even some of the tests having some similar relations to one another, they are still fundamentally different to each other.

• Iron Test

This test is mainly used for measuring the iron content within your system and bloodstream, and is surmised for the immediate levels of iron in the body.

•  Ferritin Level Test

This is mainly used for checking the total amount of the protein containing iron reserves, also known as ferritin, and is used for the maintenance of any long-term iron content located within the body.

Before taking this issue to your personal doctor, tell them exactly what has been going on with the full picture of your iron status in your body.

 

Conclusion

The ferritin test is a really important indicator that provides some much needed context for what might be happening in a patient’s body in relation to their ferritin levels. Through the symptoms such as unnatural amounts of fatigue, pregnancy issues, or is having a very serious and chronic heart condition. These very tests will be able to give a crystal clear understanding over iron deficiencies and overload, based on the issue at hand.

Through the usage of early detections, a high and low level of ferritin that is present within the body has effective treatment that can allow it to either subside or balance completely through medical procedures, and in case your personal doctor has advised you to take a ferritin test immediately after seeing the state of your body, do not delay it at all, make sure to have a very good hospital check it out and take the first correct step towards a much better health and lifestyle for the benefit of yourself.

 

Medical Disclaimer - The information that has been written is only to be used for educational purposes. There has been no information presented by this website, be it text, images and graphics that should be taken as professional medical advice. Always consult with your doctor regarding any medical advice that may relate to your condition.