Ferritin test or serum ferritin test or blood ferritin test is a test of the amount of ferritin, a protein for storing iron, in your blood. It is an estimate of the total amount of iron in your body. The test is typically ordered most frequently if there is a symptom of dizziness, weakness, tiredness, or anemia symptoms. It also measures iron overload, chronic disease, and inflammation.

You should be aware of your ferritin level so you can diagnose some diseases at the age of a young child. Your doctor can arrange this test as a part of your yearly check-up of your health if you have to identify your iron level or your anemia and ferritin relationship.

A ferritin blood test is a simple blood test that takes a blood sample and measures how much ferritin your blood contains. Normally, ferritin is the body's chief protein for iron storage and exists mainly in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. Ferritin's role is to release the iron if the body needs it. The test is seeing how efficiently your body stores iron.

Ferritin blood test is primarily performed to look for iron overload or deficiency. It can be done along with some other iron tests like serum iron and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) to roughly estimate about your ferritin and iron levels. It is extremely helpful in diagnosing anemia and the management of chronic disease.

What Is the Ferritin Test Done For?

Physicians will typically request the ferritin test if the patient has some of the following signs that can be indicative of iron deficiency or excess:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Bleeding gums
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pale skin
  • Recurring infections
  • Inflamed tissue that is easily visible
Some of the diagnoses that will be determined by the test and reasons when to take ferritin test include:

  • Iron deficiency anemia
  • Internal bleeding caused by intrinsic causes or menorrhagia
  • Hemochromatosis (excess iron)
  • Liver disease
  • Chronic inflammation
  • Autoimmune diseases
Ferritin test uses could also be useful in the monitoring of iron therapy in patients already treated for anemia to prevent iron overload complications.

Preparation for Ferritin Test

Ferritin test preparation is simple, but you need to be cautious with some general instructions for accurate ferritin test results:

  • You can be asked to fast if the test is being done as part of a complete iron panel. Always ask your doctor.
  • Do not take iron supplements or high doses of vitamin C 24 hours prior to the test.
  • Inform your doctor of any medications or supplements taken currently.
  • Do not exercise strenuously one day prior to the test, as it will transiently increase ferritin levels.
  • Wear loose-sleeve apparel for painless blood sampling.

Ferritin Test Procedure

The ferritin test process is easy and takes only a few minutes:

  • A health care professional will swab your arm with antiseptic.
  • You will be offered a small needle in a vein to draw the blood.
  • The blood sample will be analyzed by the lab.
  • You can head home to continue normal activities as soon as blood is drawn.
  • This is a rapid, safe test, and test results will be returned in 24 to 48 hours.

What to Expect After the Ferritin Test

In your ferritin blood test, you may experience some temporary bruising, redness, or soreness at the injection site. They will fade away within a day. You are not required to come back for follow-up with the test. You can go back to your normal meals if you previously fasted before the test.

There are no recovery time and no side effects when undergoing this test. Your physician can, however, prescribe other tests depending on your ferritin test result, especially if abnormal.


Understanding Ferritin Test Results

Ferritin is measured in units of nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). The ferritin normal range value varies according to age and sex but generally:

  • For men, a normal value is 24 to 336 ng/mL
  • For women, it's 11 to 307 ng/mL
If your ferritin is low, it typically indicates iron deficiency, perhaps because of poor diet, chronic bleeding, or malabsorption. Low ferritin levels will typically cause anemia with features of dizziness, fatigue, and pallor.

High ferritin levels can also indicate hemochromatosis (iron overload), chronic liver disease, inflammation, or specific cancers. Ferritin is also raised with infection or autoimmune disease. Further testing may then be needed to establish the causes of low ferritin.

Ferritin Test Diagnoses Conditions

Serum ferritin is an excellent diagnosis to screen and diagnose several of the medical conditions, including

  • Iron deficiency anemia: most frequent cause of low ferritin.
  • Hemochromatosis: iron overload condition.
  • Chronic infections: chronic infection will have effect on ferritin.
  • Liver and kidney disease: these organs metabolize iron.
  • Inflammatory disease: e.g., lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Certain cancers: ferritin can be elevated in malignancy.
Physicians also use the ferritin test to:
  • Track the treatment for iron deficiency with iron supplements.
  • Disease activity follow-up in chronic disease in which ferritin is applied according to inflammation.
  • Employ iron storage to decide on further study or treatment protocols.
  • The test gives a better description of iron status and precise diagnosis and management.

Ferritin Test vs Serum Iron Test

Although ferritin test and serum iron test are both important in your body iron status test, both of them only provide indication of various aspects of iron metabolism. Ferritin test indicates the amount of iron stored by the body. Ferritin is a storage protein that mobilizes the iron as required, and the test consequently is a good reflection of the long-term availability of the iron. It is optimally used in the identification of early signs of iron deficiency test when it is not yet detectable by other methods.

Conversely, a test of the quantity of iron in your blood when blood is drawn is serum iron testing. Because serum iron changes from day to day based on eating, time, and many more, this test is a better test of recent or transient change in iron intake.

To get a general idea of iron status, doctors most typically use both tests under the guidance of TIBC (Total Iron-Binding Capacity) and transferrin saturation. The two tests together correctly diagnose anemia, iron overload, or any other iron disorder.

Price of Ferritin Test in Pakistan

Ferritin test cost in Pakistan also varies based on the laboratory, place, and whether a promotion or discount or not. It is normally between PKR 800 to PKR 2,000.

Affordable and hassle-free laboratory tests like those offered in InstaCare will likely have cheaper package prices, schedule an appointment online, and home sampling. They provide the benefit of having tests performed in a safe and efficient manner from the comfort of one's home.

Book lab tests from the best-certified labs in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, and get a discount of up to 35%. For assistance, call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the right lab test for your health needs.