How does the therapy work?
The therapy of ferritin deficiency is based on two pillars: First, the iron storage must be replenished by giving the body a lot of iron. Secondly, the cause of the ferritin deficiency must be treated or the lifestyle must be adapted to the cause. If there is not only an iron deficiency, but a ferritin deficiency already exists, this deficiency can no longer be treated simply by changing one’s diet.
Instead, the iron has to be additionally substituted. The most effective method is to administer iron into the vein or an iron injection into the muscle. In most cases, however, the administration of iron tablets is preferred to invasive treatment methods.
Since the iron level cannot suddenly rise again under drug therapy, iron tablets must be administered over several months. In most cases, the treatment should be carried out over three to six months. In addition, the body should be supported by an increased intake of iron through food.
Iron is mainly found in red meat and legumes such as beans, peas and green spelt. Soy, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and oatmeal also contain a lot of iron. The daily intake of iron should be 10 to 12 mg per day. During the lactation period, the requirement increases to 20 mg daily, during pregnancy it is 30 mg.
Duration until a ferritin deficiency is corrected
How long it takes to correct a ferritin deficiency depends on the type of iron intake. If iron is administered intravenously or intramuscularly, the iron stores are usually replenished within a few weeks. If iron is administered in the form of tablets, the body needs several months to correct the ferritin deficiency. Even after the iron stores have been replenished, care should be taken to ensure an iron-rich diet.
Diagnostics for ferritin deficiency
The diagnosis of ferritin deficiency begins with a medical history, during which both the typical symptoms and the possible reasons for a ferritin deficiency should be asked by the doctor. The diagnosis can then usually be made after a blood sample has been taken and the blood has been analyzed in the laboratory. It is important for the diagnosis that the ferritin value has fallen below the normal value.In addition, the haemoglobin value (red blood pigment), the erythrocytes (red blood cells), the iron in the blood, as well as the transferrin (iron transport protein) should be examined.
If there are indications of pathological causes of ferritin deficiency, these should also be investigated, for example by means of a gastrointestinal endoscopy or an examination by a gynaecologist. Our next article may also be of interest to you: Costs of a colonoscopyThe standard values for ferritin depend on both age and sex. For women, the normal range before menopause (end of menstruation) is between 20 and 110 ng/ml, after which the ferritin value should be between 15 and 650 ng/ml. For men the limits are somewhat higher: between 18 and 50 the value should be between 30 and 300 ng/ml, afterwards between 5 and 660 ng/ml. In babies, the normal value for ferritin is between 90 and 630 ng/ml; with increasing age, the normal range initially drops to 40 to 220 ng/ml.
