Iron & Anaemia

Usually, your doctor will order a lab test for you if they think it’s necessary. However, there are also a handful of iron testing services you can buy online. Some are at-home tests, while others still require a lab visit after you make your purchase.

Keep in mind that you can have low or high iron for many reasons. Because of this, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor about your results, even if you decide to use an at-home test or go to a lab without a doctor’s order.

Below, we’ll go into what iron tests entail, our picks for best at-home iron testing, how to interpret your results, and when to see a doctor.

Iron is an essential mineral found in every cell of the body. It’s important to maintain adequate levels of it because iron produces hemoglobin, a protein found in your red blood cells, and serves to transport oxygen to your organs and tissues. It also delivers carbon dioxide back from your organs and tissues to your lungs.

If you have low hemoglobin levels, it signifies a low red blood cell count, also known as anemia, which can make you feel chronically tired and weak.

“However, ferritin should be used in conjunction with other tests such as serum iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) to determine if you are truly iron deficient or too high in iron,” Mandal says.

There are several tests related to iron, each testing for something slightly different.

• Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) test. The TIBC test checks whether there’s too much or too little iron in the bloodstream. A doctor may order this test if they think you have anemia or too much iron in your blood, since both can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
• Serum iron test. A doctor will usually order a serum iron test as a follow-up if your initial testing reveals abnormal results. It checks for abnormally high or low blood iron levels. An abnormal result may indicate that you have an underlying health condition or have consumed too much iron.
• Ferritin test. The ferritin blood test checks the level of iron stored in your body. Both abnormally low and high ferritin levels can cause unpleasant symptoms.

Iron deficiency is a common cause of anemia. It simply means that your body doesn’t have enough of this all-important mineral.

One of the most common signs of iron deficiency is feeling very tired or low on energy. Other common symptoms include:

• weakness
• irritability
• difficulty concentrating
• skin that’s paler than usual
• shortness of breath

It’s easy to just accept tiredness as a universal fact of life, so one way to watch out for potentially low iron levels is to take note of whether you feel particularly weak and tired while exercising.

Iron overload, or hemochromatosis, is a condition where the body stores too much iron. This can be a result of either genetics or another issue such as:

• alcohol dependency
• family history of diabetes
• heart disease
• liver disease
• use of iron or vitamin C supplements
• frequent blood transfusions

Because the body is not able to excrete excess iron, this can lead to serious health problems including organ and tissue damage. This excess iron builds up in the liver, heart, skin, joints, pancreas, and pituitary gland.

Symptoms can include:

• fatigue
• weakness
• weight loss
• abdominal pain
• low sex drive
• joint pain
• bronze or grey skin color