Patient Service Centers
Iron is an essential mineral that carries oxygen throughout the body in red blood cells. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron for future use when the body needs it most. While an iron test gives the current amount of iron in your blood, this ferritin test measures your body’s overall iron storage and determines if you have a healthy amount of iron in your body.
When iron levels drop too low, your body cannot make enough hemoglobin to produce the red blood cells it needs. As a result, you may become anemic, which may cause you to feel tired, dizzy, or short of breath. If left untreated, anemia may worsen and lead to additional symptoms. If iron levels get too high, your body absorbs more than is needed, which may be a sign of additional health problems like liver disease, heart problems and diabetes.