Have you been feeling low on energy lately? Are you regularly feeling worn out, even if you have just started your day? Does it just seem like you don’t have the energy to carry on the daily tasks that are required of you?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, then perhaps you need an iron test. Apart from stress and other emotional factors that can affect your energy, one of the telltale symptoms of low iron levels is the lack of energy.
That said, here are more reasons that should strongly convince you why testing your iron levels is important to your health.
1. It Can Determine Possible Damage On Your Organs
One of the testing options that can quickly determine the levels of iron in your body is a ferritin test. Ferritin is a protein in your body that carries iron. With this type of testing, you have a picture of what your iron supply in your body is.
If you’ve been complaining of a low or decreased energy level, your doctor will most likely order this test. Why so? A high ferritin level is usually a sign of possible damage to your organs, like your liver and your spleen.
Symptoms of excess ferritin in your body include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness, or unexplained low energy levels
- Stomach pain
- Heart palpitations
- Chest pain
- Joint pain
2. It Can Detect Iron Deficiency Anemia
Anemia isn’t usually a dangerous disorder. It can easily be cured by intaking vitamins that are rich in iron. But, if left undetected and untreated, anemia can go down to potentially-fatal levels, which can eventually lead to death.
One of the most common symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia is low energy. If you’ve been consistently experiencing low energy, then it might be best for you to have your iron levels checked.
In addition, women who have excessive menstrual bleeding also have higher risks of low hemoglobin or iron-deficiency anemia. Apart from your doctor prescribing you with iron-enriched vitamins, you’ll also be asked to change your diet to include more iron-containing food.
3. It Can Make Pregnancy Healthier
This section applies to women who are trying to get pregnant or who are already pregnant.
On the first trimester of pregnancy, it’s normal for a lot of women to feel more tired and sleepy than usual. There are even those who complain of lesser productivity because they have lower energy levels. Each time that you see your doctor, if it isn’t an unusual or alarming level of weakness for you, then you may be fine. However, if you’re starting to feel unusually weaker, or even more tired than you used to, your doctor will most likely order for an iron test.
It’s usual for pregnant women to be prescribed with iron-containing vitamins. If left unmanaged, low iron levels can lead to dangerous pregnancies. When your doctor orders an iron test, they can determine how much iron you have in your body. Doctors also prescribe the necessary amount of supplements for you and the growing baby inside you.
4. It Can Determine Other Disorders
A decreased energy level is a common symptom both of having low and high ferritin and iron levels in your body. Hence, when you complain about this, your doctor will order an iron test to be done. This iron test doesn’t just determine blood-related disorders, like anemia, but can even help doctors recognize other severe disorders as well.
Examples of disorders that an iron test can determine includes:
- Iron poisoning.
- Hemochromatosis, which is a condition characterized by the body absorbing too much iron.
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is a cancer of the blood that starts in your lymphatic system.
- Rheumatoid arthritis, which is the most common form of autoimmune arthritis, caused by the body’s immune system not working properly.
- Type 2 Diabetes, which is a condition that affects how the body metabolizes sugar in your body.
- Leukemia, which is essentially cancer of the blood.
Conclusion
Remember, iron is one of the most basic nutrients that your body needs to function well. For you to be considered healthy, you need to have normal levels of iron. Too much, and too little of iron is dangerous to your body.
Iron testing is very important for your body. With iron testing, your doctor has a starting point of the overall picture of the iron levels in your body, and provide a solution to any problems that may occur.