Is low iron and low ferritin the same?

Ferritin is a blood protein that contains iron. A ferritin test helps your doctor understand how much iron your body stores. If a ferritin test reveals that your blood ferritin level is lower than normal, it indicates your body’s iron stores are low and you have iron deficiency. As a result, you could be anemic.

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Is ferritin the same as serum iron?

Ferritin isn’t the same thing as iron in your body. Instead, ferritin is a protein that stores iron, releasing it when your body needs it. Ferritin usually lives in your body’s cells, with very little actually circulating in your blood.

Why is iron low but ferritin normal?

If the body does not have enough stored iron, it can affect the production of healthy red blood cells and cause iron deficiency anemia. In early stages of iron deficiency anemia, your body may have a low amount of ferritin but a normal amount of iron in the blood and will still be able to make healthy red blood cells.

Does low ferritin cause low iron?

Low levels of ferritin lead to iron-deficiency anemia. This means you have too few red blood cells. Iron deficiency can come from a poor diet or blood loss. Or your body may have trouble absorbing iron from food.

What does low serum iron indicate?

Abnormally low iron levels may mean you haven’t consumed enough iron or your body isn’t absorbing the iron properly. Regularly having heavy menstrual periods can also lead to low iron levels. Low iron levels may also indicate: anemia.

Can you have low ferritin but normal hemoglobin?

Iron deficiency without anaemia is common. Patients may present with unexplained, non-specific symptoms. Iron studies will usually show a low ferritin and low transferrin saturation with a normal haemoglobin concentration.

What does low ferritin and low iron saturation mean?

Low serum levels of ferritin or transferrin saturation, imply a situation of absolute or functional ID. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate ID anemia from anemia of chronic diseases, which can coexist. In this case, other parameters, such as soluble transferrin receptor activity can be very useful.

What level of ferritin is iron deficiency?

A diagnosis of iron deficiency can be made in these conditions, regardless of whether anemia is present, if serum ferritin is <100 μg/L or TSAT is <20%, using TSAT to confirm iron deficiency if serum ferritin is between 100 and 300 μg/L [4, 5].

Can you have low ferritin and not be anemic?

What are the dangers of low ferritin?

– unexplained fatigue. – dizziness. – chronic headaches. – unexplained weakness. – ringing in your ears. – irritability. – leg pains. – shortness of breath.

Can you have high iron and low ferritin?

So, if your ferritin is normal, and your transferrin saturation is high, then your blood is very saturated in iron, a sign of iron toxicity. On the other hand, if your ferritin is low and your transferrin saturation is low, then this can be a sign of true iron deficiency. You have both little iron in the blood and you’re not storing much either.

What foods to avoid if you have high ferritin levels?

– Fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of any healthful diet. – Lean protein. – Grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. – Tea and coffee. – Calcium-rich foods. – Eggs.

What causes low transferrin levels?

– Liver damage leading to reduced production of transferrin – Kidney insult or injury leads to loss of transferrin in urine. – Infection – Malignancy – Atransferrinemia: A genetic mutation, resulting in the absence of transferrin, which leads to hemosiderosis in the heart and liver, which can lead to heart and liver failure.