Iron is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, primarily in the production of hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Read More
Iron is a mineral that your body needs for growth and development. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, Iron is also important for healthy muscles, bone marrow, and organ function. Your body also needs iron to make some hormones.
You get iron from eating food or taking supplements. There are iron-only supplements, but many multivitamin/mineral supplements also contain iron.
Iron tests are most often used to:
Check if the iron levels in your blood are too low, a sign of anemia. But not all people who have low iron levels have anemia.
Diagnose different types of anemia.
Check if the iron levels in your blood are too high, which could be a sign of hemochromatosis (also called iron overload). This condition causes too much iron to build up in your body. It can be inherited (passed down through families) or be caused by another health condition.
Measure the amount of iron stored in your liver to check for liver disease.
Check for restless legs syndrome (tingling or burning feelings in your legs).
See if treatments for iron deficiency (low iron levels) or excess iron (high iron levels) are working.
Symptoms of low iron include:
There are many causes for iron deficiency and includes: Inadequate availability of iron in diet - over a period of time can result in iron deficiency Heavy menstrual bleeding or blood loss during child birth can lead to deficiency of iron Internal bleeding also leads to iron deficiencylike ulcers, polyps, colon cancer, etc Certain medications Inability to absorb iron: Certain disorders such as celiac disease or surgery affecting the intestine may lead to inability in iron absorption
Symptoms of high iron include: Joint pain Tiredness Weakness or a lack of energy Stomach pain
Excessive consumption of iron (typically due to the overuse of iron supplements) Blood transfusion Hemolysis (the rupturing of red blood cells due to infection) bone marrow problems certain autoimmune diseases, genetic conditions like sickle cell diseas
There are a variety types of foods, which we can get iron from it include: Meats high in iron Liver Beef Chicken Lamb Seafood high in iron: Mussels Shrimp Clams Sardines Mackerel Tuna Scallops Vegatables high in iron: Spinach Kale Beet greens Chard Sweet potatoes Broccoli String beans Fruits high in iron: Strawberries Watermelon Figs Dates Raisins Dried apricots Prunes Other foods high in iron: Eggs Beans Lentils Peas
Complete Blood Count (CBC): While not specific to iron, CBC includes parameters like hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Abnormalities in these values can indicate anemia, which may prompt further investigation into iron status. Ferritin: Measures the amount of ferritin, a protein that stores iron, in the blood. It reflects the body's iron stores and is often used to diagnose iron deficiency anemia or iron overload conditions. Total Iron-Binding Capacity (TIBC): Measures the capacity of proteins in the blood to bind with iron. It indirectly assesses transferrin levels, which transport iron throughout the body. Transferrin: transferrin acts as a carrier protein that binds and transports iron throughout the body. Transferrin Saturation: Calculated as a percentage using serum iron and TIBC measurements. It indicates how much of the transferrin protein is saturated with iron. Low levels may indicate iron deficiency, while hig
It will take several hours to get the result
