The dangers of low ferritin in women

In short, ferritin is a protein that stores iron. There is a small amount of ferritin in human blood. Low ferritin levels usually occur during pregnancy or when suffering from anemia. Due to women's special physiological phenomena, it is easy for them to have low ferritin levels. If the ferritin level remains at a low level, it will have a great impact on their health. So, what are the dangers of low ferritin levels in women?

Causes of low ferritin

The increase in serum ferritin is due to an increase in the source of ferritin or a clearance disorder. For example, when suffering from liver cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, etc., the ferritin synthesized by cancer cells increases, causing an increase in serum ferritin. When suffering from liver disease, liver cells are damaged and their functions decline, which causes an increase in serum ferritin.

The reasons why ferritin levels are elevated in patients with liver cancer may be:

① Liver cancer cells can synthesize and secrete ferritin or isoferritin.

②The uptake and clearance of ferritin by liver cancer tissue is affected.

③ Liver cells are damaged and necrotic, and the ferritin stored in the liver cell cytoplasm overflows into the blood. Although serum ferritin is non-specific, except for moderate increases in liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, other digestive tract tumors such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer do not increase.

The dangers of low ferritin

Symptoms of low ferritin levels include hair loss, anemia, weakness, difficulty swallowing, increased ADHD symptoms, numbness in the hands and feet, asthma, and heart palpitations.

Iron deficiency anemia is a common cause of low ferritin levels, which is the most sensitive blood test.

Other causes of low ferritin levels include chronic bleeding, such as heavy menstrual bleeding or intestinal bleeding, which can be caused by ulcers, colon polyps or cancer, and hemorrhoids. Additionally, one of the most common causes of low ferritin is a diet lacking in iron.

Ferritin deficiency is also a relatively common symptom. Most people suffer from this condition due to an unreasonable daily diet, which may be caused by a lack of iron in their daily diet. Because iron is an important factor in the synthesis of ferritin, you can eat more iron-rich foods in your daily diet, such as meat, fish, and eggs. At the same time, if you have a chronic condition or too many accidents, this situation will occur, and you may also suffer from iron deficiency anemia.