Table of Contents
What diseases cause low ferritin?
Summary of Diseases Associated With Lower Ferritin
- Anemia [2]
- Fatigue [3]
- Hair loss [4, 5, 6, 7]
- Fibromyalgia [8]
- IBD [9]
- Hypothyroidism [10]
- Depression [11]
- Anxiety [12]
What does low ferritin do to your body?
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.
How serious is low ferritin?
A result of low ferritin is strong evidence of an iron deficiency. The body requires iron to make hemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that transfers oxygen from the lungs around the body. Without enough iron, a person may develop anemia.
What are the symptoms of low ferritin?
Low ferritin levels
- unexplained fatigue.
- dizziness.
- chronic headaches.
- unexplained weakness.
- ringing in your ears.
- irritability.
- leg pains.
- shortness of breath.
How can I raise my ferritin levels quickly?
Consuming iron-rich foods improves iron stores and ferritin levels. These include green leafy vegetables, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, oatmeal, cereals, wheat germ, beans and tofu, lamb and beef, nuts, pumpkin and squash seeds, liver and mollusks, among others.
What can low ferritin levels do to your body?
Low Oxygen Levels. When you have low ferritin levels,you will also have low iron levels.
What are the effects of very low ferritin?
Patients with low iron and low ferritin tend to present with 1 or more of the following symptoms: Extreme fatigue and/or decreased energy levels (the loss of energy from low ferritin is usually constant and worse with exercise) Inability to exercise or decreased exercise capacity Symptoms of hypothyroidism (low iron mimics the symptoms of hypothyroidism and can be misdiagnosed) Hair loss or inability to grow back new hair Shortness of breath
What causes chronically low ferritin?
The most common causes of low iron/ferritin include: Heavy bleeding (as is seen with a heavy menstrual flow or with heavy cycles) Gastrointestinal malabsorption (This is a big cause and one we will discuss at length below) Chronic internal bleeding (usually seen with gastrointestinal bleeding like gastric ulcers, polyps, etc.)
What disorders cause an elevated ferritin level?
Systemic lupus erythematosis, a disease characterized by inflammation that may affect most organs, commonly has high serum ferritin levels during disease flare-ups. Rheumatoid arthritis and Epstein-Barr may also cause elevated serum ferritin.