Why you should get your tissue levels of iron checked?
IRON DEFICIENCY
Most people, when they think of iron, they think of how it is important for making red blood cells and preventing anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is a condition whereby your ability to make hemoglobin becomes diminished and red blood cells (RBC’s) lose their ability to hold oxygen. This inability to hold oxygen and distribute it to all your tissues in your body is what doctors call “being anemic”. Anemia is the decreased ability to carry oxygen to your tissues with the resultant wide array of symptoms including fatigue, dizziness, headaches, cold intolerance, restless legs, poor memory, lack of ability to concentrate, depression just to name a few.
Numerous biochemical reactions in the body require iron and a deficiency in the tissues of the body is possible without actually being anemic. In fact, many symptoms described above to anemia may be more linked to low tissue iron levels.
IRON OVERLOAD
Iron Overload- also known as “hemochromatosis” is a disease where the body stores excessive amounts of iron in the tissues (“iron overload”). It is the most common inherited genetic defect to afflict humans. The abnormal gene that causes hemochromatosis is present in about 10% of the human population! There are little or no symptoms of iron overload in the early stages, but if left untreated people may eventually experience chronic infections, local inflammatory conditions such as bursitis, arthritis, tendonitis, fatigue and dizziness. As symptoms progress, early heart disease, diabetes, sterility, impotence, abnormal menstrual cycles, hepatitis and cancers may also develop.
Measuring iron levels in your tissues?
Years ago iron levels in the tissues could only be checked by doing a bone biopsy, a rather painful and unpleasant experience to say the least. Scientists have discovered a much simpler and easier way to determine tissue levels of iron by measuring ferritin, TIBC and % transferrin saturation in the blood. These can be measured, very simply and inexpensively, in the blood, with results coming back in as little as 24-48 hours. For as little as $20.00 to $50.00 your complete tissue levels of iron can be checked.
More information concerning iron:
Hemochromatosis (iron storage disease) & silent killer: easily diagnosed & treated
It has been known for many years that many people tend to store iron in their tissues in excessive amounts in a condition known as hemochromatosis. It is believed that this hereditary disease was actually very helpful for survival. In Paleolithic times, because iron was in short supply in our diet, people who could store their iron more efficiently had a better chance of survival. They were less likely to become anemic (fatigued and exhausted), thus succumbing to other hostile humans or wild animals.
Why don’t more people get tested for this condition?
Most physicians are not aware that some of these conditions may be related to iron overload and do not practice the art of preventive medicine. Here at the Tabor Hill Clinic we are very aware of screening for common conditions that may affect your health. We routinely screen all of our patients for hemochromatosis by checking ferritin and % transferrin saturation. We also look much closer at what is “an ideal level” of iron and as a result we have a much tighter range that we consider as “normal”.
What to do if high levels of iron are found? There are a number of therapeutic options to consider depending upon the progression of the condition and how high your iron levels are. Mildly elevated levels can be conservatively treated by just avoiding sources of iron such as supplements, cooking in cast iron pans, foods high in iron, and high levels of vitamin C with meals, which can greatly increase absorption of iron.
Higher levels of iron may require periodic blood donation, oral or intravenous chelation, depending upon the individual case, always remembering that most reference ranges are set way too high. For more information go to www.americanhs.org.
What to do if low tissue levels of iron are found?
Increasing foods high in iron, especially those that have better absorbed iron, is the first line of treatment. Supplements (there are many different ones), oral, IM or IV may be used in more advanced conditions. Please make sure that at some point you get your ferritin and % transferrin levels checked when getting your blood analyzed. Contact our office if you have any further questions.
