Blood test serum iron is normal. Serum iron: norm, causes of deviations from the norm

In our body there are a considerable number of varieties of formations, substances and compounds, one of the most important elements is iron. It, in turn, also has its subspecies: transport, deposited and functional. Most of the iron is found in the blood, as part of respiratory pigments: hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes, and some iron-containing pigments. The role of iron in the body should not be underestimated. This element is responsible for many functions, such as transporting oxygen to cells, organs and tissues, DNA production, hematopoiesis, cholesterol metabolism, and many other metabolic, energy and redox processes.

In medicine, there is the concept of "serum iron". This indicator is necessary to assess all metabolic processes in the body associated with iron. The patient is offered to donate blood for serum iron if the concentration of this important element in the blood is critically low.

Today we will tell you what serum iron is in the blood, what is its role in the body, and for what reason there are deviations in iron metabolic processes.

Serum iron, what is it?

In the body of each person contains about 4-7 g of iron, which comes mainly with food. However, this figure means the total amount of the element, but in its pure form, of course, it is very difficult to find. Usually, iron is part of some porphyritic and enzymatic compounds (including hemoglobin, almost 80% of the total reserve falls on it).

Iron in the blood serum is found, as a rule, in combination with the protein-transferrin that binds and transports it.

In laboratory diagnostics, such a study as a “blood test for serum iron” is provided, and it is necessary to identify various pathological conditions in humans, which entailed a sharp loss of the element. Most often, the analysis is used to determine the degree of iron deficiency anemia in a person.

The norm of serum iron in the blood

When assessing the concentration of iron in the blood, one should take into account the fact that the indicator is nutritionally dependent on many factors, for example, taking any medications or dietary supplements, being on a special diet, etc. In addition, the level of iron can be subject to changes in during the day: in the morning its concentration is higher than in the evening. The indicator can also vary among people of different age categories and gender.

The rate of serum iron in the blood of women is less than for the representatives of the stronger half and is approximately 10.7-21.5 µmol / l.

Serum iron is normal in men, it is considered to be in the range from 14.0 to 30.4 µmol / l.

Such differences in standard values ​​are due, to a greater extent, to periodic menstrual bleeding, which affects only women.

Also, it should be noted that the normal serum iron during pregnancy, especially in the second half, can be significantly reduced, this is due to the formation of internal organs and the circulatory system in the fetus, as well as changes in the mother's body. In general, the indicator during the period of bearing a baby should not be lower than 10.0 μmol / l, otherwise the pregnant woman is diagnosed with anemia and a set of measures is prescribed to improve the condition. An analysis for serum iron during pregnancy is given three times (at the first visit, at 18 and at 30 weeks), and with a low rate, a woman will have to donate blood for research a little more often to see the dynamics of improvement or deterioration.

For children, their own allowable limits for the indicator are set, based on age. Serum iron normal in children:

  • Newborns up to 1 year old - 7.15-17.9 µmol / l;
  • Children from one to 14 years old - 8.9-21.5 µmol / l;
  • Boys over 14 years old - 11.6 - 30.4 µmol / l;
  • Girls after 14 years - 8.9-30.4 µmol / l.

The result of the analysis depends not only on the sex and age of a particular patient, but also on his weight, height, general health, lifestyle, the presence of chronic diseases, and other factors.

In addition, each patient must first be explained how to properly test for serum iron, so as not to get a false result. The main important rules and recommendations before donating blood for research:

  • Blood should be taken on an empty stomach (preferably in the morning), it is desirable that the last meal was at least 12 hours ago;
  • If the patient uses tablets for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, then they must be canceled a week before the upcoming analysis;
  • The analysis should be postponed if you underwent a blood transfusion the day before;
  • The serum iron norm in women rises on the eve of the onset of menstrual bleeding, and during menstruation it decreases quite a lot, so this fact should be told to the doctor, who will help you choose the most optimal period for the study;
  • Also, it should be noted that it can be found that serum iron is lowered in case of chronic sleep deprivation and severe stress suffered the day before.

If all the rules have been followed, and there can be no error, but the analysis still shows deviations, then you should understand the causes of this condition.

Serum iron below normal

Despite the fact that the concentration of this metal in the blood is very unstable, the assessment of the indicator is extremely important for diagnosing a pathology such as anemia (anemia), as well as for monitoring the correctness of the prescribed treatment. Anemia may not manifest itself for a long time, and a person accidentally learns about this state of his blood by chance, after a periodic biochemical analysis. In other cases, a decrease in iron in the blood to critical values ​​can be fatal. You can suspect the development of anemia by some signs, for example:

  • Constant feeling of weakness;
  • Drowsiness;
  • Frequent headaches and dizziness;
  • The appearance of cracks and seizures around the mouth;
  • Violation of taste and olfactory senses;
  • Excessive dryness and brittleness of hair and nail plates;
  • Paleness of lips, skin and mucous membranes.

So, the most common reason why a person has a low level of serum iron is the development of anemia associated with iron deficiency.

Since the body does not produce iron on its own, the main cause of iron deficiency is an unbalanced (or vegetarian) diet. Most of all iron is absorbed in the body from meat and fish (almost 30%), from plant products, no more than 6%.

But other pathological and physiological factors can also affect iron levels. Serum iron is lowered causes:

  • Great loss of blood;
  • Inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract (chronic bowel disease, gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice, neoplasms in the intestine or stomach, bleeding ulcers);
  • The presence of chronic inflammatory, purulent-septic and other infectious diseases (eg tuberculosis, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, bacterial endocarditis, etc.);
  • The total iron-binding capacity of blood serum is impaired in diseases that affect the formation of transferrin and other iron-binding proteins. Such diseases include hepatitis, incl. viral.
  • Pregnancy (especially II or III trimester).

It should be noted that sometimes, according to the results of the analysis, low serum iron is detected with normal hemoglobin, and even overestimated. Hemoglobin is not always an indicator of sufficient iron content in the blood, therefore, to determine the “reserves” of iron in the body, experts analyze the serum iron index, or total serum iron-binding capacity (TOI).

Upgraded

A pathological condition in which elevated serum iron in the blood is fixed is called hemochromatosis. The disease can be primary (congenital or hereditary) or secondary (acquired), but in both cases it is characterized by an excessive content of iron in the blood plasma, the deposition of "excess" metal in the tissues, and a violation of the processes of metabolism and excretion of iron.

The state when serum iron is elevated to critical values ​​is a very dangerous pathology that can provoke the development of serious diseases up to oncological formations in the intestine or liver.

If serum iron in the blood is elevated, the causes may lie in various internal pathologies, for example:

  • Cirrhosis of the liver;
  • Prolonged course of severe infectious diseases;
  • Inflammatory processes in the kidneys (eg glomerulonephritis);
  • Frequent blood transfusions;
  • Acute hepatitis;
  • Iron poisoning.

Today, hemochromatosis is successfully treated with the help of medications, which are able to capture particles of “excess” iron, convert them into a soluble state, and successfully excrete them in the urine. Also, patients with a similar diagnosis are advised to adjust their diet so that all the elements come in the quantities necessary for the body.

Serum iron analysis is the only type of study that shows the concentration of iron in the blood and the level of exchange of this element in the body.

Periodically check your blood counts and monitor your health!

Many have heard about the connection of iron with hemoglobin. It is a structural element of this protein. There is even an erroneous opinion that the lack of hemoglobin in the blood is necessarily associated withiron deficiency. This is not true. There can be many reasons. Hemoglobin may be low despite normal iron levels.
The opposite case is also possible -low iron in the blood with normal hemoglobin. This has its own explanations.

Hemoglobin. What is it and what is it responsible for?

What is hemoglobin?

Human blood contains red blood cells, also called erythrocytes. They differ from all other cells in their unique structure - they lack a nucleus. Instead, most of the red body is occupied by hemoglobin molecules. The level of hemoglobin in the blood depends onred blood cell count.

Hemoglobin is quite complex in structure. It consists of four protein chains (globins) and four iron-containing structures (hemes). Iron in the composition of red blood cells is the most important element, since it has the ability to combine with oxygen. With the help of iron atoms in hemoglobin molecules, the body captures the air entering the lungs and provides oxygen to all its cells. And with the help of the same element, through the same compound reactions, a by-product of oxygen metabolism, carbon dioxide, is removed.

Where is it produced?

There is a special place in the human body where the continuous process of creating new blood cells takes place. This is red bone marrow. As the name implies, it is located inside the bones. Most of this substance is found in the pelvic bones. It also contains the epiphyses of long tubular bones and vertebrae, but in a smaller amount.

Blood cells are formed from stem cells that fill the red bone marrow. These are undifferentiated cells, similar in structure to embryonic ones. They can "ripen" and transform into the type of blood cells (there are three of them - erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes) that the body needs.

The formation of red blood cells occurs in the erythroblastic islets of the bone marrow. In order to turn stem cells into red blood cells, the body needs, to put it simply, to remove the nucleus from them and build several hundred hemoglobin molecules in the vacated place. The latter requires iron. The body receives this substance with food, from iron-containing foods, such as meat. That's whyconcentration of hemoglobin in the blooddepends, first of all, on a diet of the person.

What is this protein responsible for?

As mentioned above, hemoglobin is involved in the process of respiration. First, air enters through the upper and lower respiratory tract to the alveoli of the lungs. From there, oxygen molecules enter the blood and bind to iron in the erythrocyte hemes (some of them dissolve in the blood plasma).

In this form, oxygen diverges throughout organs and tissues . It is necessary for aerobic cell oxidation (the main way to obtain the energy needed in all life processes). This is a complex chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide that is not needed by the body. It is also utilized thanks to iron atoms, which enter into a connecting reaction with it and deliver it through the veins to the lungs, from where it leaves when exhaled.

Glucose is constantly present in human blood. It is needed by the body as one of the sources of energy. Glucose tends to attach to protein molecules. This phenomenon is called glycation. Red bodies can also bind to glucose. In the blood of any person there is always a certain percentage of red blood cells with glycated hemoglobin.

Sugar levels are regulated by a substance called insulin. If a person is healthy, the glucose content in his blood is always normal, and, accordingly, the percentage of glycated hemoglobin is low. But in diabetic patients, insulin is not produced or works poorly. In this case, the number of glucose-bound red blood cells increases dramatically. Their percentage measurement is the most accurate way to diagnose diabetes.

Why can iron levels be low with normal hemoglobin?

If there is not enough iron in the body, the number of red blood cells produced decreases, and anemia develops. But there are cases when a person suffers from a lack of iron, with normalhemoglobin indicators. This is because iron deficiency develops gradually. For some time, the process of creating red blood cells is supported by iron, which normally should not participate in hematopoiesis (approximately 18% of the total amount of this substance is stored as a reserve inside the cells, in the so-called tissue depot; 12% is used in myoglobin and enzymes ; some percentage is associated with transferrin, and 70% is contained in red bodies). Iron deficiency disease goes through several stages:

  1. prelatent stage. Not enough iron enters the body, its reserves in the depot begin to be consumed. Deterioration of well-being (weakness, dizziness, fatigue) is already observed at this stage, howeverhemoglobin content in the bloodremains within the normal range.
  2. latent stage. Iron in the body becomes less and less. The number of red cells is still within the normal range, but there is decline all types of non-heme gland (not included in erythrocytes). The symptoms of the disease get worse. Weakness and fatigue increase. There is increased dryness of the skin and mucous membranes, hair loss. Problems with iron-containing enzymes can manifest themselves in taste perversions, for example, some patients have a desire to eat raw meat or clay.
  3. iron deficiencyanemia. Iron stores are depleted, and the body can no longer create red blood cells in the right amount. Begins oxygen starvation.

Thus, hemoglobin falls already at the last, most severe stage of iron deficiency. At first, the lack of this substance manifests itself only in a general deterioration in well-being. Therefore, a blood test for hemoglobin is not enough to diagnose this disease. There is also a need for biochemical study blood, which will determine the amount of ferritin,the level of iron in the bloodserum and total iron-binding capacity.

General blood analysis

Signs of low and high hemoglobin

Symptoms high and low red blood cells, for the most part, coincide. May be observed:

  • Weakness, shortness of breath, chronic fatigue;
  • Sharp movements are accompanied by dizziness;
  • Drowsiness;
  • Paleness of the skin. With high hemoglobin, on the contrary, redness is possible.
  • With anemia, the tongue in the mouth may become bright red.
  • poor appetite;
  • Hypotension with low hemoglobin. At high, there is a tendency to hypertension.
  • With anemia possibly prone to fainting.

Not all, but only some of the listed symptoms may be observed. Problems with hemoglobin mainly manifest themselves in weakness, lethargy and fatigue of the body.

Table of normal blood hemoglobin levels for men and women

Below is a table normal values ​​of hemoglobin (g/dl), taking into account gender and age :

Age Among women In men
First two weeks of life 13,4 – 19,8 Same way
Then until the middle of 4 weeks 10,7 – 17,1 Same way
Until the middle of week 8 9,4 – 13,0 Same way
Up to 4 months 10,3 – 14,1 Same way
4-6 month 11,1 – 14,1 Same way
6-9 month 11,4 – 14,0 Same way
9-12 month 11,3 – 14, 1 Same way
1-5 years 11,0 — 14,0 Same way
5-10 years 11,5 – 14,5 Same way
10-12 years old 12,0 – 15,0 Same way
12-15 years old 11,5 – 15, 0 12,0 – 16,0
15-18 years old 11,7 – 15,3 11,7 – 16,6
18-45 years old 11,7 – 15,5 13,2 – 17, 3
45-65 years old 11,7 – 16,0 13,1 – 17,2
After 65 years 11,7 – 16,1 12,6 – 17,4

As can be seen from the table, menhemoglobin levels in the bloodon average higher than women. And its highest rates are in newborns. It can also be noticed thatnormal hemoglobin in an adultdecreases over the years.

The table shows the optimal performance. But there is also a certain boundary that must not be violated, otherwise a very dangerous state sets in for a person. This is the so-called critical level of hemoglobin in the blood. It is equal to 6.0 g/dl. If the indicators fall below, the probability of death is high.

Hemoglobin and pregnancy

In the body of a woman, fewer red blood cells are produced than in men, since the male hormone is involved in their production. In addition, women periodically lose blood during menstruation. Because of such physiological characteristics, they are more prone to anemia than men. In addition, a woman experiences a huge load during pregnancy . Her body must supply oxygen and nutrients not only to itself, but also to the growing embryo.

Therefore, for pregnant women, there is a special norm of hemoglobin - 11.0-15.5 g / dl. It is important to ensure that these indicators did not fall below 11.0 g/dl, especially during the first trimester, since the formation of the most important organs of the child occurs at this stage, and oxygen deficiency can be detrimental.

Normalization of hemoglobin level

The level of red blood cells in the blood can go beyond the normal range due to a variety of diseases, some of which are very serious. For example, bone marrow tumors or congenital pathologies in the structure of the body. Therefore, you can not self-medicate. You should undergo an examination and establish the exact cause of the disease. If it turns out that these disorders are the result of malnutrition or an unhealthy lifestyle, it is quite simple to bring the composition of the blood back to normal.

How to increase the number of red cells?

Anemia is often caused by a lack of substances needed for hematopoiesis. In addition to iron, vitamin B12 is very important for the creation of red blood cells. Its deficiency is also a common cause of anemia. To quickly replenish iron, the doctor may prescribe a traditional hematogen or drugs such as Sorbifer. Vitamin B12 is often given as an injection.

It is very important to eat meat and fish. Iron, which is contained in their composition, is best absorbed. Anemia can be exacerbated by alcoholism, because it disrupts absorption of iron and vitamins into the stomach.

How to lower them?

Due to the large number of blood cells, the blood becomes thickened. Therefore it shouldtake medicationthat liquefy it. Such as Curantil or Vasonite. They must be prescribed by a doctor.

To reduce the content of red blood cells in the blood, you need a special diet that worsens iron absorption. These are, first of all, dairy products, as well as cereals and flour products.

Hemoglobin may increase due to smoking. With tobacco smoke, the blood receives excess carbon dioxide, which leads to oxygen starvation. Wanting to compensate for this, the body begins to intensively produce red blood cells. In order for the blood to return to normal, you should give up cigarettes.

Macro- and microelements are necessary for the human body, they are involved in all processes of its life. Today we will talk about iron. Without this element, which is involved in the processes of hematopoiesis, the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells, it will be impossible to supply tissues and organs with oxygen. Iron deficiency contributes to the development of very serious diseases. But today I want to consider the other side of this issue: what happens if there is an excess of iron? Let's find out what this can lead to and what are the reasons for the increased level of iron in the blood.

The norm of the content and the role of iron in human blood

Our body does not produce iron, it comes from food. The process of absorption occurs in the liver, and then from there the element enters the bloodstream with the help of transferrin protein. Iron is an essential component in the synthesis of hemoglobin, the protein that makes up red blood cells. And, as everyone knows, it is erythrocytes that supply all organs with oxygen. Without oxygen, cells die quickly.

Another important function of iron is its participation in the synthesis of myoglobin protein. This protein is contained in the composition of muscle tissue, helping it to contract, and also, together with other elements, is involved in metabolic processes. The thyroid gland also needs iron to function properly. Without iron, the process of cholesterol metabolism is impossible. Another important function of this element is to strengthen the body's immune defenses.

The content of iron in the body of men and women

To provide them with the body, a person should consume 25 mg of iron daily with food. The content of iron in men and women in the blood is not the same, this is due to genetic characteristics. The norms of iron in the blood are as follows:


Iron in the blood is increased - what does it mean?

The maximum indicator of this mineral in the blood of a healthy person is 5 g. A significant excess of this norm can lead to unpleasant and sometimes disastrous consequences for the body.

It should be noted that iron is the strongest oxidant. It reacts with free radicals. And this leads to rapid aging of the whole organism and its cells. The process of oxidation of iron with oxygen leads to the formation of free radicals, which contribute to the occurrence of cancer. What are the reasons for the increase in iron in the blood in women? For example, according to statistics, in women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, the level of iron is much higher than normal.

In the body of men, iron accumulates much faster, provoking the development of various heart diseases in them, several times increasing the risk of a heart attack at a young age. After the onset of menopause, when women stop losing monthly blood, they also increase the process of iron accumulation, which means that the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases increases.

Removal of iron from the body

It should be noted that iron, unlike most other macronutrients, is not excreted naturally from the body. Thus, all the iron that is not used by the body in the process of life and not removed from it (ie, no more than 1 mg per day) begins to accumulate in it. A decrease in its quantity can occur with any blood loss or during starvation, when, due to the lack of external supply of necessary substances, the body has to use its own reserves for its functioning.

Causes and significance of elevated iron levels

As you already understood, an increased iron content in the blood can lead to unpleasant consequences. If, nevertheless, your analyzes showed similar results, you should identify the cause of the increase and try to reduce the level. Let's try to understand the reasons that can lead to an increase in the blood content of this element. As practice has shown, uncontrolled intake of multivitamins and preparations containing iron leads to similar results. But there are also diseases that can also lead to similar results.

Diseases that lead to excess iron

These diseases include:

From the foregoing, we can conclude that an increase in iron in the blood can be a symptom of a rather severe pathology.

Symptoms of an increase in the level of iron in the human body

In addition to the general symptoms of malaise, diseases accompanied by an increase in iron in the blood are characterized by specific symptoms:

  • Delayed puberty in adolescents.
  • Fatigue, weakness, drowsiness.
  • Bradycardia (in an adult it is 60-70 beats per minute).
  • The liver is enlarged and painful on palpation.
  • Skin pigmentation.
  • Pain in the joints.
  • Active weight loss without increasing physical activity and diets.
  • Weakening and hair loss.
  • An increase in blood sugar levels.

If you find such symptoms in yourself, you should immediately contact a specialist and take a blood test for elevated iron. The day before the test, alcohol, fried and fatty foods should be excluded from the diet. You can not use drugs. If taken, the analysis should be carried out no earlier than one and a half weeks after the end of treatment.

What to do with an increase in iron levels?

While you wait for the results of the analysis, review your diet, limit foods containing iron. Consult with other specialists to rule out liver and heart disease. You should check the hormonal background, as some hormones can also lead to an increase in iron in the blood. It is necessary to give up alcohol, especially if there is a history of cirrhosis of the liver.

Interaction with toxic substances should be stopped even if they belong to the field of professional activity.

Iron utensils should not be used for cooking. It is necessary to test the water from the local water supply for iron content and, if its content is elevated, limit the use of this water. If iron levels continue to rise, it may be due to lung infections, lupus. Control tests are given at least once a month. Following these steps will help you maintain your health. We have considered the main reasons for the increase in iron in the blood.

Treatment

Normalizing the level of iron in the blood should begin with your diet. You need to know that calcium contributes to the deterioration of the absorption of iron. Foods containing iron, as well as B vitamins and vitamin C, should be excluded from the diet.

In case of iron intoxication due to the intake of iron-containing preparations of more than 30 mg / kg, gastric and intestinal lavage is carried out. Medical bloodletting is also prescribed, when half a liter of blood is released to the patient once a month.

The course of treatment should be repeated after four months.

In order to avoid the development of anemia, the patient is prescribed "Deferoxamine" - 20-30 mg / kg per day for prophylactic purposes. A synthetic hormone was also synthesized, which does not have hormonal activity, but promotes the rapid removal of iron from the body. If the disease is accompanied by one of the types of anemia, a separate treatment with pyridoxine in combination with ascorbic acid is prescribed.

Thus, from this article we learned what an increase in iron in the blood can lead to.

Serum iron - what is it? It is an essential micronutrient for the body. It performs binding and transport functions. This means that iron has an exceptional ability to bind free oxygen and transfer it to all systems and organs. This trace element is also involved in the vital processes of tissue respiration, which means that without it the normal functioning of the body is impossible.

What is serum iron

What is blood iron and what is its norm, the doctor will tell before the analysis. On average, the normal content of iron in the blood serum is 5 grams. In its pure form, it is almost impossible to detect it.

But iron is contained:

  • in hemoglobin;
  • in catalase;
  • it is also found in cytochromes.

Approximately a quarter of the iron in the body is not used at all. That is why it is called reserve. Why is it necessary?

This iron is located in some depots, which include:

  • spleen;
  • Bone marrow;
  • liver.

The bound iron in the blood, with the help of which the tissues are saturated with oxygen, is mostly present in the composition of enzymes. This substance is an essential factor for the redox reactions occurring in the organs. Without it, the immune system, the hematopoietic system and collagen synthesis will not fully function.

The most reliable way for iron to enter the body is through nutrition. It is food that can provide all the necessary trace elements. The highest concentration of the enzyme is found in meat. Especially if it's beef.

But iron is also found in other foods:

  • fish;
  • liver;
  • eggs;
  • legumes;
  • buckwheat grain.

In order for iron in the blood to be absorbed by the body as much as possible, it should be consumed along with foods that have a large amount of vitamin C. Most of it is found in greens and plant products.

Iron is absorbed mainly in the duodenum. That is why, if a low content of serum iron is found in the blood, then intestinal pathology can immediately be suspected.

The amount of iron is regulated by the level of hemoglobin breakdown and the concentration of iron in the depot organs.

The norm of iron in the body, the reasons for lowering its level

The norm of serum iron in the blood is considered as follows - from 11 to 30 mmol per 1 liter of blood serum. Its amount will be within such limits if people do not have any chronic diseases, if they have a normal level of hemoglobin. Of course, food is also important.

If the diet consists of foods rich in iron, then its content in the blood will be maintained at a normal level. That's why doctors always recommend sticking to a comprehensive, nutritious diet.

If, according to the results of the tests, a decrease in the level of serum iron in the blood was found, then one should think about the lack of this microelement in the body.

This condition can be observed due to a number of specific reasons:

  • the schedule of food intake is violated - an insufficient amount of iron and vitamins enters the body;
  • iron deficiency anemia, which occurs after a large blood loss or hematopoietic dysfunction;
  • dysfunction of iron absorption processes directly in the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract), the cause of which, most likely, is pathology in the intestine or stomach - more often this includes gastroenteritis and gastritis;
  • oncological diseases, especially malignant tumors localized in the intestine;
  • renal failure of an acute or chronic nature;
  • the presence of an increased concentration of protein in the urine.

Causes of an increase in the level of serum iron in the blood

An increase in the level of iron in the blood is due to such pathological changes in the body as:

  • anemia, which is associated primarily with insufficient formation of red blood cells;
  • hemolytic anemia, which is manifested by an excessively rapid breakdown of red blood cells and a rapid deterioration in the patient's well-being;
  • poor genetic inheritance;
  • an increased amount of hemosiderin, which can be observed with frequent subcutaneous hemorrhages;
  • lack of folic acid or vitamin B12 in the body;
  • necrotic lesions of the liver, which often include necrosis and hepatitis.

However, the main reason for the increase in serum iron in the blood is considered to be its excessively rapid entry into the plasma or its poor absorption by tissues.

Based on this, iron is one of the most important indicators of blood, and the deviation of its level from the norm may indicate the presence of some developing pathological processes in the body.

This is especially true for organs such as:

  • intestines;
  • liver;
  • spleen;
  • red bone marrow.

After all, these organs are the most important in the production and utilization of iron in the human body.

Other causes of changes in iron levels and ways to normalize it

The importance of what iron content will be in the body is played by daily nutrition and its systematic schedule.

That is why it is necessary to ensure that the diet consists of such products that would be rich in exactly the elements necessary for the body. That is, every day a person should eat meat, preferably beef. It is best to combine it with herbs and fresh vegetables. Baked beef with citrus fruits also goes well. This combination is also useful, since citruses include the necessary amount of vitamin C, and this element contributes to better absorption of iron.

If any pathological processes are present in the body, this immediately affects the level of iron in the blood. A lot depends on the number of red blood cells in the serum.

If their number is insufficient, then the hemoglobin in a person will be low:

  • With a reduced level of hemoglobin, the iron contained in the blood - accordingly - also becomes quite low. This condition is especially evident during pregnancy. Therefore, women who are expecting a baby need to take a blood test every month to control the level of hemoglobin and iron in the blood. After all, not only the well-being of the expectant mother depends on this, but also the nutrition of the fetus, which takes all the trace elements and oxygen it needs through the placenta. And with a lack of hemoglobin, the baby immediately feels a lack of oxygen, which can lead to disastrous consequences.
  • The level of iron in the blood is immediately disturbed if a person has liver pathologies. It is in this organ that bound iron is deposited, if there are any disturbances in the functioning of the organ, then the level of iron immediately changes in one direction or another. To identify the pathology, the patient is assigned an analysis that determines the iron index.
  • Anemic conditions can lead to irreparable consequences. In this case, the red bone marrow, which is also responsible for the iron content in the blood, suffers the most. Therefore, in any anemic condition, it is immediately necessary to exclude the malignancy of the pathology development process using a special analysis, because this may be due to the insufficiency of some cellular blood structures, which can only be corrected surgically, namely, bone marrow transplantation.

If the rate of iron in the blood differs from the results of the analysis, then you should immediately seek the advice of a specialist. It is the doctor who will be able to determine the cause of this condition and prescribe all the necessary additional studies in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

Only after the final diagnosis is made, according to the results that the analysis showed, it will be possible to prescribe the most correct and adequate treatment. Remember, self-treatment can lead to disastrous results.