Iron in the human body provides the process of oxygen transfer and its delivery to tissues. Its elements are found in hemoglobin and myoglobin and provide a characteristic color of blood.
That's what iron in blood means. The norm in women is different from the norm in men.
The main external source of iron for the human body is nutrition. Together with food containing a trace element, it is absorbed in the intestine, accumulating in the bone marrow, giving it the opportunity to actively produce red blood cells - red blood cells. With a sufficient level of trace elements in the body, it is deposited in the blood-forming organs - the liver and spleen, creating a reserve. When the body is deficient, the reserve begins to be used.
It becomes clear what iron means in the blood. The norm in women will be considered in this article.
What is iron in the body?
This major trace element is in several forms and performs different functions. Iron in red blood cells acts as an oxygen carrier. Extracellular, in the structure of serum proteins of transferrin and lactoferrin, indicates the level of hemoglobin. In the liver and spleen, iron reserves are formed in the form of protein compounds that support the synthesis of red blood cells and their viability.
What is the norm of iron in the blood of women? About it below.
The level of this trace element indicates the state of human health. To evaluate it, the hemoglobin index, defined as one of the main ones, in the general blood test, and the iron index, determined by its biochemical analysis, are used.
An increase or decrease in the level of the indicator indicates the passing in the body of painful changes, inflammation, metabolic disorders.
The total amount of the element is only 5 grams in the adult body and 350 mg in infants. 2/3 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 plasma bound form. Both a deficiency and an excess of trace elements are indicators of a violation of human health.
This is how important iron is in the blood. The norm in women will be discussed later.
Norms of iron in the blood
For an adult, the norm is the presence in the blood of up to 5 g of iron, in the blood serum from 7.00 to 31.00 μmol / liter.
Its normal level in the blood is:
- in babies up to 24 months - from 7.00 to 18.00 micromol / l;
- in adolescents 14 years old - from 9.00 to 22.00;
- for adult men - from 11.00 to 31.00;
- for adult women - from 9.00 to 30.00:
This is all whey iron. The norm for women in the blood is not much different from the norm for men, but it can still be slightly lower.
The level of this trace element is individual for each person and depends on:
- gender;
- age
- individual body weight;
- hemoglobin index;
- health indicators.
The iron in the blood depends on this.
Is the norm in women really so important?
Causes of low iron levels in the body
Since the main source of iron intake for humans is nutrition, 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 trace element for various reasons.
Of the entire mass of iron that comes with protein meat products, the body metabolizes 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. To assimilate it well, vitamins of groups C and B and proteins must be supplied in parallel. Too much fat reduces the absorption of this trace element.
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 the level of absorption of iron;
- carrying a child and feeding;
- inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- insufficient acidity of gastric juice;
- ulcers of the stomach and intestines, especially bleeding.
Too low levels of iron 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?
The main external symptoms of iron deficiency
Outwardly, this is manifested:
- fragility and delamination of nails and hair;
- pale skin and mucous membranes;
- bluish lip color;
- unreasonably frequent colds and stomatitis;
- low muscle tone;
- a tendency to depression;
- poor appetite;
- persistent fatigue;
- disorders of stool and digestion;
- enuresis in children and urinary incontinence when coughing in adults.
All these symptoms indicate a sharp decrease in defenses, pathologies of tissues and organs. Reducing the immune threshold makes the body vulnerable to infectious diseases.
The consequences of lowering blood iron levels for women can be very serious.
Pathological conditions of the body with low iron
With a lack of iron, there is a constant oxygen starvation of the body, which is expressed in:
- the 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 level of learning
- the development of dermatological diseases and neurodermatitis;
- weakness of the cardiovascular system.
Iron deficiency anemia treatment
For the treatment of conditions dangerous to humans - anemia - prescribe medications that regulate the level of iron, and prescribe a diet that allows the element to be better absorbed. For this, sufficient doses of vitamins C and B must also enter the body. Of the medications - Ferroplex and Fenyuls, which give the body at least 50 mg of iron per dose.
The diet for anemic patients includes cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal), beef, poultry, liver, seafood with the simultaneous use of vegetables and fruits containing a large amount of vitamin C. If possible, exclude milk and calcium products, tea and coffee from the menu.
Causes of increased iron levels in the blood
The body normally maintains a balance between soluble and insoluble iron. Insoluble in hemosiderin binds the metal in the tissues, and soluble ferritin plays the role of a temporary reserve. The level of the element is ensured by the regulation of its assimilation in the intestine - first, iron is deposited in its mucous membranes, if necessary, it is transported to the liver and bone marrow.
Excess of it is regularly excreted from the body with mucous cells, which normally live for only three days.
There are diseases in which the regulation of the norm of iron is disrupted - in the intestine all the substance entering the body begins to be absorbed. With such a pathology or pigmented cirrhosis, hemoglobin exceeds 135 g / l.
Symptoms
In this case, the following symptoms are observed:
- erythrocyte reduction;
- pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen;
- integuments become 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. At a hemoglobin level below this norm, they speak of anemia.
The greatest need for iron in pregnant women is in the second half of pregnancy, when the placenta is actively formed and the baby's blood is formed. If the micronutrient deficiency in a woman carrying a child is not eliminated, this can provoke premature birth and the birth of a child with a low 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 can be large, on the other - less, the most important thing is that the norm is maintained 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, apples, buckwheat. Dried mushrooms contain 30 mg of iron per 100 g; pork liver 20 mg; poultry meat 9 mg.
If the woman’s body does not cope with the state of anemia, the doctor may prescribe iron preparations to improve the condition.
So, it became clear how important the norm of iron in the blood of women.