High Ferritin: How To Lower It?
High levels of ferritin can cause fatigue, stomach and joint pain, and darkening of the skin.
Ferritin is one of the proteins that influence iron metabolism. It is responsible for storing it in certain cells in our body so that we do not suffer from a deficiency. However, high levels of ferritin in the blood may be a sign that something is wrong with our body.
Most of the ferritin is found in the liver, but some also circulates in the blood. Thus, by measuring the level of ferritin in the blood, we can also estimate the concentration of iron in that person.
Iron is necessary for the hemoglobin in red blood cells to bind oxygen and transport it to all of our cells. In this article, we explain what happens when your blood ferritin levels are high and how to lower them.
High ferritin: what does it mean?
As already mentioned, ferritin is a protein that stores iron in cells. When its concentration in the blood is measured, we can find out if iron reserves are high, low, or within normal limits.
Normal blood ferritin levels range from 12 to 300 nanograms / milliliter in men. For women, the normal level is between 12 and 150 ng / ml. This difference is due to the fact that women lose a significant amount of iron during menstruation.
A high concentration of ferritin also means a high level of iron. This can happen for many reasons, including liver damage. Other reasons we can find are:
- Drinking alcohol frequently or in excess.
- Inflammatory processes. They can be found in many diseases such as cancer.
- A diet very high in iron.
- Anemia. This case is complex. The point is that since it is deficient in iron, the body tries to supply it by increasing the amount of ferritin circulating in the blood and thus the amount of iron available.
- Blood transfusions.
- Macrophage activation syndrome. This is a disease in which cells of the immune system called macrophages are more activated than normal. These are the cells that also store ferritin.
We must not forget that a high concentration of ferritin also depends on genetic factors. In fact, there is an inherited disease called haemochromatosis, which is precisely the build-up of excess iron.
What symptoms may appear?
Usually people are asymptomatic at first, but some clues may emerge over time. First, a person often feels tired and weak.
It is also typical for people with high levels of ferritin to experience abdominal or joint pain. The skin usually becomes darker. Even heart problems can arise as a result.
How to lower it?
There are treatment options to lower your ferritin levels. First, you should try to limit your intake of foods that are very high in iron, such as spinach, animal liver, or red meat.
In addition, it is recommended to take chelates with lancets. Chelates are substances that bind to metals in the blood, such as iron, and allow them to be eliminated.
Finally, a phlebotomy can be performed. Phlebotomy is a technique that involves taking blood from a person with high ferritin. You have to repeat this several times to lower its levels. In addition, frequent blood tests are needed to check it.
We must remember that it is important to visit the doctor relatively often and undergo blood tests. Thanks to this simple measurement, it is possible to know many parameters important for health, such as the level of ferritin.
