Low ferritin levels

Importance andconsequences of deficit

Ferritin belongs to thegroup of proteins that are considered to be responsible for the storage ofiron so the metabolism could make best use of it later on. Therefore, once thedeficit occurs, this is considered to be the sign that the body lacks proper amountsof iron. The main bodily organs that contain this protein are the spleen,liver, bone marrow and skeletal muscles. Given the fact that scant amounts ofiron are present in the blood, their primary function is to bind to Ferritin.What this immediate connection points out to is that decrease in the levels of ferritinis directly related to the deficiency in iron. Regarded as acceptable and proper,ferritin levels are those that range from 30-300 mg/dl.

Conditions to beblamed

Though there are acouple of conditions that are to be blamed for the imbalance in the levels offerritin, the most prominent one is considered to be iron deficiency. In case aperson consumes food varieties that are poor in iron, the storage of theprotein in question is spent by the metabolism much faster, which of course, directly leads to significant decrease in the levels of ferritin in the person’sblood. Given its significance, it is important to re-establish a properbalance of the above mentioned substances or the levels of iron are also soonto reach their all time low, which is by no means desirable.

Aside from the irondeficiency, other common culprits for the decrease in ferritin levels anddisruption of its balance are long-term blood loss of the digestive tract,hypothyroidism, abuse of alcohol, hepatitis (acute), diseases affecting theliver, poor nutrient absorption, and also malnutrition. When it comes to thefemale population, the main culprit is excessive menstrual bleeding, as well asvarious autoimmune disorders.

Manifestations

Now, that those mostfrequent to blame conditions have been covered, a person is to pay special attentionto the manifestations as well. The most frequent, and indicative, are thefollowing:

Excessive fatigueGiddinessHeadachesGeneral weaknessThrobbingEnergy lossBrittle nailsPaleness of eyesLibido lossHypersensitivenessIrritability

How to defeat it

In order to be ableto battle this condition off with greatest of success, a person must followspecific steps, and pay special attention to his/her diet. Namely, it is ofutmost importance to consume those food varieties that have an abundance of iron, and do so on a regular basis. Also, in order to increase the levels of iron, the use of supplementsis quite often recommended.