To understand the symptoms of low ferritin levels, it helps to know what ferritin is and what role it plays in your body. Ferritin is an iron storage protein found in the liver, skeletal muscle, bone marrow, and intestinal mucosa. Ferritin makes the iron non-toxic to the surrounding cells and keeps it in a usable state. Having a sufficient amount of stored iron is essential to the body’s function in producing red blood cells. Ferritin levels are directly correlated with how much iron the body can store as well. When the body is not taking in enough iron, particularly the highly absorbable heme iron, this iron storehouse is depleted, reducing ferritin levels.
Common Symptoms of Low Ferritin
A person with low ferritin may notice a wide range of symptoms which they attribute to other things, or the individual symptoms may be so mild that many simply dismiss them. Iron depletion can be a slow process happening over time, and the decline in ferritin can even be symptomless. However, it can be a precursor to anemia, which many of the symptoms of low ferritin levels can mimic. The symptoms may include:
– Achiness
– Weakness
– Fatigue
– Dizziness
– Headaches
– Faster heart rate
– Hair loss
– Foggy thinking
– Memory problems
– Loss of sex drive
– Depression
– Increased irritability
– Heartburn
– Abdominal pain
– Pica, or the compulsive eating of non-food items
– Pagophagia, or the compulsive eating of ice
– Numbness or tingling of extremities
Common Visual Signs
As well as the symptoms listed above, there are visual symptoms and deficiencies that can show up as well in those that have low levels of ferritin. These symptoms may include:
– Easy or excessive bruising
– Paleness of skin
– Brittle nails
– Sores at the corner of the mouth
Addressing Ferritin Deficiency
If you suspect you may have reduced levels of ferritin, it can be determined with a simple blood test. Speak to your health care provider about maintaining healthy iron levels through recommendations specific to your needs and screenings. Your health care provider can also advise you about eating a healthy diet rich in heme iron, which is found in protein rich foods. This can be found in red meat, chicken, egg yolks, artichokes, leafy greens such as spinach and collards, iron-enriched cereals and grains, mollusks, liver, beans, lentils, chick peas and soybeans. You may also consider supplementing your diet with a heme iron supplement to help assure the proper intake of absorbable iron.
Many people don’t know what low ferritin symptoms are or how to treat it, but there are places you can find that information. Heide Cruder researched the symptoms of iron deficiency to see if she needed to take an iron supplement.
