Iron in the human body ensures the implementation of the process of oxygen transfer and its delivery to tissues. Its elements are found in hemoglobin and myoglobin and provide the characteristic color of blood.
This is what iron in the blood means. The norm for women is different from the norm for men.
The main external source of iron for the human body is food. Together with micronutrient-containing food, it is absorbed in the intestines, accumulating in the bone marrow, giving it the opportunity to actively produce erythrocytes - red blood cells. With a sufficient level of the microelement in the body, it is deposited in the hematopoietic organs - the liver and spleen, creating a reserve. When the body is deficient, the reserve begins to be used.
It becomes clear what iron in the blood means. The norm in women will be discussed in this article.
What is iron in the body?
This essential trace element comes in several forms and performs different functions. Iron found in red blood cellscells, acts as an oxygen carrier. Extracellular, in the structure of the serum proteins transferrin and lactoferrin, indicates the level of hemoglobin. Iron reserves are formed in the liver and spleen in the form of protein compounds that support the synthesis of red blood cells and their viability.
What is the rate of iron in the blood of women? More on that below.
The level of this trace element indicates the state of human he alth. To evaluate it, they use the hemoglobin indicator, which is defined as one of the main ones, in a general blood test, and the iron indicator, which is determined in its biochemical analysis.
Increase or decrease in the level of the indicator indicates ongoing painful changes in the body, inflammation, metabolic disorders.
The total amount of the element is only 5 grams in the adult body and 350 mg in infants. 2/3 of the available - shown as hemoglobin in erythrocytes, approximately 5% is in muscle cells in myoglobin, up to 25% of iron is deposited in the liver and spleen, up to 1% is in bound form in plasma. Both deficiency and excess of a microelement are indicators of a violation of human he alth.
This is how important blood iron is. The norm in women will be discussed further.
Norms of iron in the blood
For an adult, the norm is the presence of up to 5 g of iron in the blood, in the blood serum from 7.00 to 31.00 µmol/liter.
Normal blood levels are:
- in babies up to 24 months - from 7.00 to 18.00 µmol/l;
- for teenagers aged 14 - from 9.00 to 22.00;
- for adult men - from 11.00 to 31.00;
- for adult women - from 9.00 to 30.00:
It's all whey iron. The norm in women in the blood is not much different from the norm in men, but still may be slightly lower.
The level of this trace element is individual for each person and depends on:
- gender;
- age;
- individual body weight;
- hemoglobin indicator;
- he alth indicators.
Iron in the blood depends on it.
Are women really that important?
Causes of low levels of iron in the body
Since the main source of iron intake for humans is food, the main reason for its low level is the incorrect construction of the diet in terms of quality and volume, the inability to absorb the microelement for various reasons.
Of the total mass of iron that comes with protein meat products, the body absorbs only up to 20%, with fish - only 10%. The element that comes with proteins is absorbed by only 5%. Dairy products do not contain it at all. For its good assimilation, vitamins of groups C and B, proteins must be supplied in parallel. Too much fat reduces absorption of this micronutrient.
Low levels of iron in the body are caused by:
- too rapid growth, it depletes the reserves accumulated in the liver and bone marrow;
- blood loss in women in physiological cycles;
- too high levels of female sex hormones, which reduces iron absorption;
- bearing and feeding;
- inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- insufficient acidity of gastric juice;
- stomach and intestinal ulcers, especially bleeding.
Too low iron levels indicate a state of oxygen deficiency in the body and a constant decline in strength.
It is important to control the level of iron in the blood. The norm in women can be violated. How to determine this without analysis?
Main external symptoms of iron deficiency
Outwardly it appears:
- fragility and separation of nails and hair;
- pale skin and mucous membranes;
- bluish lip color;
- unreasonably frequent colds and stomatitis;
- low muscle tone;
- prone to depression;
- bad appetite;
- enduring fatigue;
- disorders of the stool and digestion;
- enuresis in children and cough incontinence in adults.
All these symptoms indicate a sharp decrease in defenses, pathologies of tissues and organs. Decreased immune threshold makes the body vulnerable to infectious diseases.
The consequences of lowering the rate of iron in the blood for women can be very serious.
Pathological conditions of the body with a low iron level
With a lack of iron, there is a constant oxygen starvation of the body, which is expressed in:
- formation of specific anemia;
- dystrophic changes in tissues and organs;
- a strong decrease in the body's defenses and a high incidence of infectious diseases;
- fatigue and depression;
- reducing the level of intellectual development and physical growth of children;
- Low learner;
- development of dermatological diseases and neurodermatitis;
- weakness of the cardiovascular system.
Treatment of iron deficiency anemia
For the treatment of conditions dangerous to humans - anemia - they prescribe drugs that regulate the level of iron, and prescribe food that allows the element to be better absorbed. To do this, the body must also receive sufficient doses of vitamins C and B. Of the medications - "Ferroplex" and "Fenules", which give the body at least 50 mg of iron per dose.
Diet for patients with anemia includes cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal), beef, poultry meat, liver, seafood with the simultaneous consumption of vegetables and fruits containing large amounts of vitamin C. If possible, milk and foods with calcium are excluded from the menu, tea and coffee.
Causes of high blood iron levels
The body normally maintains a balance between soluble and insoluble iron. Insoluble in hemosiderinbinds metal in tissues, and soluble ferritin plays the role of a temporary reserve. The level of the element is ensured by the regulation of its absorption in the intestines - first, iron is deposited in its mucous membranes, and, if necessary, transported to the liver and bone marrow.
Excess is regularly excreted from the body with mucosal cells, which normally live only three days.
There are diseases in which the process of regulating the norm of iron is disturbed - in the intestines, all the substance entering the body begins to be absorbed. With such a pathology or pigmentary cirrhosis, hemoglobin exceeds 135 g / l.
Symptoms
The following symptoms are observed:
- decrease in red blood cells;
- pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen;
- skin turns red.
To treat this condition, drugs have been created that remove iron from the blood with body secretions.
Iron in the blood: the norm in pregnant women
For pregnant women, the level of iron in the blood is extremely important - her body consumes it 50% more than usual.
For a pregnant woman, the level of the element in the blood is from 13 to 30 µmol/l, hemoglobin is 110 g/l. When the hemoglobin level is below this norm, they speak of anemia.
The greatest need for iron in pregnant women in the second half of pregnancy, when the placenta is actively formed and the blood of the child is formed. If the microelement deficiency is not eliminated in a woman bearingchild, it can lead to premature birth and the birth of a child with low birth weight, which will be difficult to survive.
The norm of iron intake by a pregnant woman should be from 18 to 27 mg per day in the second half of pregnancy, and on one day the intake may be large, on the other - less, the most important thing is to maintain the norm for a short period of time - 2 -3 days.
The diet of a pregnant woman should be complete - the menu must include red meat, liver, vegetables and cereals, poultry meat, apples, buckwheat porridge. Dried mushrooms contain 30 mg of iron per 100 g; pork liver 20 mg; poultry meat 9 mg.
If a woman's body cannot cope with anemia, the doctor may prescribe iron supplements to improve the condition.
So, it became clear how important the rate of iron in the blood of women is.
