Serum Ferritin

A Serum Ferritin test detects ferritin protein in the blood and helps determine how much iron is stored in your body. This test also helps to detect or monitor diseases such as iron-deficiency anemia, hemochromatosis (iron overload), liver disease, and adult-onset Still’s disease.

Iron is an important nutrient for healthy muscles, bone marrow, and other functions, including brain development in children. The body gets iron from the food and uses it for oxygen distribution. Some part of this iron is stored in the protein ferritin that is concentrated in the liver and immune system cells.

Your doctor may advise a Serum Ferritin when you have symptoms suggestive of low iron levels, such as pale skin, extreme tiredness, weakness, heavy menstrual cycles, bleeding in your digestive tract, blood in your stool, shortness of breath, brittle nails, whooshing sound in your ears, and sudden spinning sensations (vertigo). This test may also help monitor recovery and formulate your treatment plan for iron deficiency or overload. No special preparation is needed for a ferritin test; eat or drink as per your daily routine. However, talk to your doctor about all the pre-test instructions. 

Test result ranges are approximate and may differ slightly between different labs depending on the methodology and laboratory guidelines. Talk to your doctor about your specific test results. Narrate your complete medical history to help the doctor correlate your clinical and laboratory findings. The test results will help them determine your medical condition, make recommendations for lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, decide whether or not medication will be required to manage your condition, and formulate your overall treatment plan.