Anemia is a very common condition affecting people all over the world. Also known as iron deficiency anemia, the condition is characterized by the red blood cell count being less than normal. For a basic understanding, the levels that are considered to be normal by the medical fraternity differ from men to women with the male levels usually being less than 13.5 grams / 100 ml and less than 12 grams / 100 ml in women. In order to understand the development of anemia in the body, it helps to know the life cycle of the red blood cells. Under normal circumstances, red blood cells usually have a life span of about 120 days and are produced by the bone marrow. Anemia could be caused by two factors: a problem with the production of new red blood cells to replace the ones that are at the end of their life cycle and a sudden and significant loss and destruction of blood. The consumption of iron rich foods is known to help the body produce red blood cells and, as a result, the test of iron levels in blood tests is usually the best way to detect the condition. Read more on high iron levels in blood
The checking of iron levels in blood test are not carried out on a routine basis. Some of the symptoms that may prompt the doctor to order an iron levels in blood test include chronic fatigue and weakness in addition to weakness and headaches. However, one of the biggest problems that doctors face during the diagnostic process is that most of the symptoms given out by anemia are very similar to a number of other conditions, meaning that the only really definitive way of diagnosing the condition will be through a blood test.
The blood test that is used to detect too much iron in blood is the same as any other type of blood test. A sample of blood is extracted with the help of a syringe and sent to the laboratory for analysis after which your doctor will go over the readings and let you know what the final readings were. No specific preparation is required to perform the test; however, it is advisable that you inform the doctor of any medication that you might be under in the event that its properties interfere with the test readings. High iron in the blood or too much iron in the blood could result in many problems and therefore to keep check on the iron levels in blood normal range should be conducted regularly.