Blood Tests for Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia is a little confusing. Hemoglobin and hematocrit are the two most common tests for this kind of anemia but they really don't tell the full picture. Instead, a full iron panel can tell your physician more about what is going on in your body. Here's a look at what a full iron panel tests for:
Hemoglobin (Hgb) – is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body’s tissues and carbon dioxide from your tissues to your lungs. Low levels of hemoglobin indicate that the body has a reduced capacity to carry oxygen throughout the body.

Hematocrit (HCT; or PCV, packed cell volume) – this measures the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. So for instance, if your HCT is 40%, this means that 40% of your blood volume is composed of red blood cells.

Red Blood Cell Count (RBC) – bed blood cells are your oxygen carrying cells. A low RBC signals anemia.

Transferrin – a transport protein that carries iron. If a person is iron deficient, transferrin levels will be high.

Serum Iron – measures the quantity of iron in the blood that is bound to transferring. Serum iron levels are low if you are deficient in iron.

TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity) – measures your body’s ability to transport iron. If a person is iron deficient, their TIBC will be high.

Ferritin – measures your iron stores in the body. When your blood levels of iron drop, your body can pull iron from your ferritin. Lower levels of ferritin signal iron deficiency.

Heavy Period? The Top Causes of Debilitating Menstrual Cycles Uncovered

Some people share a little TMI (too much information). As one of my good friends said, as a dietitian, you are part nutrition expert, part behavioral expert and part therapist. And granted, I’d expect my female clients to ask me questions about their bodily functions (from constipation to the color of pee). But when random girls I don't know well start telling me about their heavy menstrual cycles and asking about herbal remedies, it’s TMI. I’m not a doctor, you’re okay and it's Friday night and we are at a bar for crying out loud. But, naturally curious, I began to wonder why some women complain about abnormally long periods, debilitating cramping, bloating and a 1-week a month total meltdown.

So I went searching and found some common causes of heavy periods include:

- Hormone imbalances - the pill can help, sometimes.
- Uterine fibroid tumors - these are typically benign (non-cancerous). The causes are not known but these tumors rely on estrogen for growth.
- Cervical polyps - small growths on around the cervix
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) - typically caused by a STD though some women get PID after childbirth or a gynecological procedure.
- Cervical cancer - yearly pap smears are vital for catching this cancer early!
- Endometrial cancer
- Bleeding disorders
- Diseases such as lupus, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, thyroid and pituitary disorders

If you have heavy bleeding and/or cramping and pain, don’t just wait it out while popping Advil. Instead, talk to your physician to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing changes to your cycle. In addition, may sure your physician runs lab tests including CBC, thyroid functioning and an iron panel.