What is a Ferritin blood test?

A ferritin blood test measures the level of ferritin in your blood. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron inside your cells. You need iron to make healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Iron is also important for healthy muscles, bone marrow, and organs, including brain development in children.

Too little or too much iron in your body can cause serious health problems if not treated. A ferritin blood test can show how much iron you have stored in your body.

Other names: serum ferritin, serum ferritin level, ferritin serum

What is it used for?

A ferritin blood test is used to help check your iron levels. It can help your health care provider find out if your body is storing the right amount of iron to stay healthy.

The test may also be used to:

• Help diagnose or rule out conditions related to iron levels, including:

• Hemochromatosis, having too much iron in your body (also called iron overload)

• Iron deficiency anemia, having too few red blood cells because you lack iron

• Liver diseases (much of the ferritin in your body is stored in your liver.)

• Restless legs syndrome, a tingling or burning feelings in your legs that may be caused by a lack of iron

• Adult Still disease (also called adult-onset Still disease or AOSD), an uncommon disease that causes joint pain, fever, and rash, often with high ferritin levels

• Monitor chronic (long-lasting) conditions that may affect your irons levels, such as cancer, kidney disease, and autoimmune diseases

If you're being treated for problems with iron, the test may be used to check how well the treatment is working.

Why do I need a ferritin blood test?

You may need this test if you have symptoms of iron levels that are too low or too high.

Symptoms of iron levels that are too low include:

• Shortness of breath

• Weakness or fatigue

• Dizziness

• Arrhythmia (a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat)

Symptoms of iron levels that are too high can vary and tend to get worse over time. Symptoms may include:

• Weakness or fatigue

• Joint pain, commonly in the knees or hands

• Loss of interest in sex or erectile dysfunction (ED)

• Abdominal (belly) pain

• Change in skin color, which may look gray, metallic, or bronze

You may also need this test if the results of other blood tests show that you have low hematocrit or hemoglobin levels.

What do the results mean?

Lower than normal ferritin levels may mean you have iron deficiency anemia, or another condition related to low iron levels. Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia, in which your body doesn't make enough red blood cells. Without treatment it can lead to heart problems, infections, slow growth and brain development in children, and other health issues.

Higher than normal ferritin levels can mean you have too much iron in your body. Conditions that cause increased iron levels include:

• Liver disease

• Alcohol use disorder

• Hemochromatosis

• Hyperthyroidism

If your ferritin results are not normal, it does not always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment. Certain medicines can decrease or increase your ferritin levels. If you have questions about your results, talk with your health care provider.

What does vitamin B-12 test for?

Purpose of the test

The purpose of vitamin B12 testing is to determine whether you have a deficiency or a lower-than-normal level of B12 in your body. Sometimes a vitamin B12 level will be tested by itself, and other times it will be measured along with other tests to diagnose or monitor certain health problems.

Your doctor might order a vitamin B12 test if you show symptoms of anemia or issues with the nervous system like mental changes, weakness, loss of balance or numbness, pain, and tingling in the arms and legs. A vitamin B12 test can also be ordered as a follow-up if you had an abnormal blood test that suggests megaloblastic anemia, when red blood cells are unusually large and do not function properly.

What does the test measure?

The test measures your vitamin B12 levels, which are important for many aspects of health. Adequate levels of vitamin B12 are needed for your body to maintain a healthy nervous system, make red blood cells, and create DNA, the genetic material in all of our cells.

When should I get this test?

Up to 15% of people in the U.S. have a vitamin B12 deficiency. Testing is usually performed when you have symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency, such as anemia or nervous system problems. Some people are at a greater risk of vitamin B12 deficiency due to age or preexisting health conditions. They may undergo regular vitamin B12 testing to check whether their levels are normal.

Anemia is one factor related to inadequate vitamin B12, with symptoms including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, pale skin, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, and loss of appetite. With anemia, your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues.

A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to a type of anemia known as megaloblastic anemia. Megaloblasts may be detected through routine blood testing before you develop symptoms of anemia. When this happens, follow-up testing is typically performed, including a vitamin B12 test.

Nervous system symptoms are another trigger for vitamin B12 testing. Common symptoms include neuropathy, weakness, poor balance, confusion, and dementia.

And you might have risk factors associated with a vitamin B12 deficiency, including age (75 years or older), lack of protein in the diet, medications that interfere with vitamin B12 absorption like histamine blockers, or decreased absorption of vitamin B12 because of a stomach disease like celiac, cancer, or pancreatic insufficiency.

People more likely to experience low vitamin B12 levels include older adults, children, vegans and vegetarians, diabetics, those who have had gastric bypass surgery, women who are breastfeeding, and if you have a condition that can impact absorption like Crohn’s disease.

Your doctor can best assess the nuances involved in determining whether you should get vitamin B12 testing because many of these symptoms overlap with other health conditions and could require different types of screening.

what does total IgE test for?

What is Total IgE?

Total IgE measures the level of antibodies in the blood made by the immune system in response to an allergen.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is an antibody that causes an allergic reaction. When exposed to an allergen (typically a harmless substance that the immune system considers dangerous, such as peanuts), the body produces specific IgE antibodies designed to recognize that allergen in the future. Then, with repeated exposure to the same allergen, the immune system quickly produces large numbers of allergen-specific IgE particles to identify and eliminate the allergen.

What is Total IgE?

The total IgE test detects the presence of IgE antibodies in the blood, indicating an increased chance of an allergic reaction. The test for allergen-specific IgE particles is then used to obtain information about the specific substance causing the allergic reaction.

How do I know if I have allergies?

Allergic reactions range from localized red spots, itchy skin, to anaphylaxis, which includes a sudden drop in blood pressure and difficulty breathing.

Allergic reactions can vary greatly in type and severity depending on the individual and allergy. The following symptoms are strong indications that IgE needs to be measured:

• Itchy eyes or watery eyes

• Sneezing and/or coughing

• Intermittent or persistent itching, hives

• Stuffy nose

• Persistent diarrhea

• Difficulty breathing

• Nausea or vomiting 44

What is a normal IgE level?

IgE test results are expressed in Fluorescent Assay Standard Units (FSU). A number less than 0.01 FSU indicates no detectable IgE.

Generally, the higher the IgE level, the higher the risk of allergic symptoms. Each potential allergen is assigned a class according to this level as shown below.

Class 0/1

0.01–0.34 BSS

Clinical significance not established

Class 1

0.35-0.70

Low sensitivity

Class 2

0.71-3.50

Moderate sensitivity

Class 3

3.51-17.50

High Sensitivity

Class 4 or higher

17.51-50.00

Ultra High Sensitivity

Class 5

50.01-100.00

Ultra High Sensitivity

>100

Highly sensitive

What does high IgE mean?

Higher IgE levels are more likely to cause symptoms of allergy to a specific allergen, but lower classes of allergens also need to be controlled. They can contribute to the buildup of allergy burden during allergy season, for example.

What if IgE is elevated?

If your IgE levels are elevated due to indoor, outdoor or food allergies, a board-certified allergist can work with you to develop a program to help relieve your symptoms.

This may include the use of antihistamines and other drugs, allergen avoidance, and immunotherapy.

What is RA test?

What is a rheumatoid factor (RF) test?

The rheumatoid factor (RF) test looks for rheumatoid factor (RF) in a blood sample. Rheumatoid factor is a protein produced by the immune system.

Your immune system makes proteins called antibodies to attack germs that can normally make you sick. However, rheumatoid factor is an antibody that sometimes mistakenly attacks the body's healthy cells and tissues.

When this happens, you have an autoimmune disease.

Not everyone has rheumatoid factor in their blood. And some people who have them are healthy. However, if you have certain symptoms and higher levels or rheumatoid factor, you may have an autoimmune disease or other health problem associated with high RF levels.

The

RF test is primarily used in conjunction with other tests to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of autoimmune disease that damages joints and causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. It is a chronic (long-term) condition that can affect organs and cause other symptoms.

High levels of rheumatoid factor can also be a sign of other autoimmune diseases, some infections, and some types of cancer.

Other Name: RF Blood Test

What is it used for?

The RF test is often used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

RF testing can also be used to understand how severe your rheumatoid arthritis is and whether it can affect your organs. RF testing by itself cannot diagnose a health problem.

Why is RF testing needed?

If you have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, you may need an RF test. Symptoms often start in the wrists, hands, and feet.

They usually affect the same joints on both sides of the body and tend to come and go.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:

• Joint pain

• Tenderness, swelling, and warmth of the joint

• Joint stiffness that lasts longer than 30 minutes

• Fatigue

• Occasional low fevers

• Loss of appetite

• Problems outside of the joints that may include dry eyes or mouth, firm lumps under the skin, or anemia

What do the results mean?

An RF test alone cannot diagnose any conditions. To make a diagnosis, your provider will look at the results of other tests along with your symptoms and medical history.

A negative (normal) result means that you have little or no rheumatoid factor in your blood.

However, that does not rule out rheumatoid arthritis or other health problems. Many people with rheumatoid arthritis have little or no rheumatoid factor. If you have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms but your RF test results are normal, your doctor may order additional tests to make a diagnosis.

A positive (abnormal) result means a higher level of rheumatoid factor was detected in the blood. This does not always mean that the symptoms are caused by rheumatoid factor.

However, the higher the RF test result, the higher the chance that a person has a rheumatoid factor-related disorder. Your doctor may do more tests to find out if you have a disease, such as:

• Rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune diseases

• Chronic infections

• Certain types of cancer

Anything else I should know about the RF test?

Radiofrequency testing is not used to diagnose osteoarthritis. Although rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis both affect joints, they are very different conditions. Osteoarthritis is not an autoimmune disease and is not related to rheumatoid factor.

Researchers aren't sure what causes osteoarthritis. It mainly affects the elderly.

What is albumin test for?

Albumin testing alone or in combination with other measurements can play a role in the diagnosis, screening, and monitoring of a variety of conditions.

Diagnosis is a test performed after symptoms begin. For example, if you have signs of potential liver disease, such as jaundice or fatigue, or if you have symptoms of possible kidney disease, such as abnormal urination or unexplained swelling (especially in your feet and legs), your doctor may recommend an albumin blood test .

Screening is a form of testing that aims to detect health conditions before symptoms appear. This is not usually done by measuring albumin alone.

However, albumin can be included in a comprehensive metabolic or liver panel along with other measurements, which can be administered during a routine physical examination as a form of screening.

Monitoring includes tests to see how your condition is progressing or responding to treatment. Follow-up blood albumin tests can provide information about the severity of the disease and how the condition changes over time.

What does the

test measure?

This test measures the amount of total albumin in the blood.

Albumin's biological function is to prevent fluid from leaking out of the blood vessels and to transport substances such as hormones, enzymes, and vitamins into the body.

If the

panel test contains albumin, another measurement is performed using the same blood sample.

When should I get an albumin test?

An albumin blood test may be ordered if you have symptoms that may be caused by a liver or kidney problem. Albumin levels alone cannot diagnose this type of condition, but they can provide important information to help doctors diagnose the problem.

Albumin alone is not usually recommended unless there are signs of liver or kidney problems. However, albumin measurements may be included in panel tests that can be used for health screenings. In these tests, as in the comprehensive metabolic panel, albumin levels can be interpreted in relation to other measurements.

Interpreting test results

Albumin levels are reported on the test report. Albumin is measured in grams per deciliter of blood (g/dL).

If different measurements were taken in the panel test, you will see a separate row for each of these measurements in the test report.

A typical reference range for normal albumin levels is 3.5 to 5.5 g/dL. Reference ranges can vary from lab to lab, so it is important to carefully review the test report to see if a different range is listed.

Albumin levels above or below the reference range may reflect an underlying health concern. Low levels can be caused by conditions that affect the liver’s normal function and ability to synthesize albumin or excessive loss of albumin through the kidneys.

Albumin persists in the blood for several weeks, so recent, short-term liver health issues that decrease albumin production may not be detected. Decreased albumin levels are more frequently associated with chronic conditions affecting the liver, like cirrhosis.

Although albumin is produced in the liver, abnormally low levels can also be tied to kidney conditions, malnutrition, inflammation, infection, thyroid disease, and gastrointestinal problems.

Abnormally high albumin levels are most often due to dehydration, which can be caused by other conditions such as severe diarrhea.

Doctors often interpret albumin values ​​along with measurements of other metabolic and liver and kidney parameters. Observing which measurements are normal and which ones are abnormal can help identify patterns in the results that can reveal the most likely cause of a test result.

Your health care provider will be in the best position to explain your test results, what they mean for your health, and to determine if other tests are suitable for follow-up.

What is Alkaline phosphatase test?

Alkaline phosphatase is a type of enzyme that exists in the body. Enzymes are proteins that help chemical reactions. For example, it can break down large molecules into smaller parts or help assemble smaller molecules into larger structures.

You have alkaline phosphatase all over your body, including your liver, digestive system, kidneys, and bones.

If you have signs of liver or bone disease, your doctor may order an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) test to measure the amount of enzymes in your blood and help diagnose the problem.

Sometimes it is part of a broader group of tests that check how the liver is functioning, called a regular liver or liver panel.

Why should I take this test?

If her liver is not working properly, she may have high levels of ALP in her blood. Doctors often use this test to check for blocked bile ducts. Other conditions that can cause liver problems include:

• liver cancer

• cirrhosis

• hepatitis

• blocked bile ducts

This test can also detect bone problems such as:

• Paget's disease, which affects bone growth

• Problems caused by vitamin D deficiency

Interpretation of test results It is given in units (IU/l). .

The report may also include reference ranges that may vary from lab to lab. A common reference range is 44-147 IU/L, although some professional bodies recommend a range of 30-120 IU/L. For this reason, it is important to check test reports against the reference range of the lab that analyzed the samples.

Elevated ALP can indicate many other conditions besides liver and bone disease. However, high ALP values ​​are not necessarily a sign of a problem.

Several factors may be considered when interpreting test results. For example, ALP is usually higher in pregnant women, growing children and adolescents, and the elderly. ALP produced in the gut can also increase after fatty meals in people with certain blood types. It can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, hypothyroidism, and some rare genetic disorders that affect ALP or liver function. Persistent low levels of ALP may indicate hypophosphatasia (HPP), a rare genetic disorder of bone metabolism.

If there is an ALP isozyme test, the test report will show values ​​for different types of ALP. Elevation of specific ALP sources can localize tissue damage and other diseases in the body.

Regardless of the type of ALP test you have, it is important to discuss your test results with your doctor. Your doctor can best explain what your test results mean for your health and whether other tests might be beneficial.

When discussing test results with your doctor, these questions may help you better understand your situation and the most appropriate next steps in treatment:

What does billirubin test indicate?

What is a bilirubin blood test?

Bilirubin is a yellow pigment found in all blood and stool. A bilirubin blood test determines the level of bilirubin in the body.

Your liver may not be able to process the bilirubin in your body. This may be due to excess bilirubin, blockage, or liver inflammation.

Excess bilirubin in the body causes the skin and the whites of the eyes to turn yellow. This condition is called jaundice.

A bilirubin test can help determine if you have these conditions.

Bilirubin is formed in the body when the hemoglobin protein in old red blood cells is broken down. Shedding old cells is a normal and healthy process.

After circulating in the blood, bilirubin moves to the liver.

In the liver, bilirubin is processed, mixed with bile, excreted into the bile ducts and stored in the gallbladder.

Finally, bile is released into the small intestine to aid in fat digestion. It is eventually excreted in your stool.

Bilirubin that is bound by the liver to glucuronic acid (a glucose-derived acid) is called direct or conjugated bilirubin.

Bilirubin that is not bound to glucuronic acid is called indirect bilirubin or unconjugated bilirubin. The sum of all bilirubin in the blood is called total bilirubin.

The

comprehensive bilirubin blood test accurately measures all three levels of bilirubin in the blood: direct, indirect and total bilirubin.

In both adults and children, symptoms associated with high bilirubin include jaundice, yellowing of the skin and eyes, tiredness, itchy skin, dark urine, and loss of appetite.

Common Reasons for Bilirubin Testing there is.

Therefore, testing for bilirubin in the blood is a good way to check for liver damage.

Mild jaundice in newborns may be due to normal changes in bilirubin metabolism or may be the first sign of a medical problem.

If the birth value is too high, the baby's blood can be tested several times in the first few days of life to monitor liver function. Jaundice in newborns can be very serious and life-threatening if left untreated.

Another reason for high bilirubin levels is that more red blood cells than normal are being destroyed.

This is called hemolysis.

Bilirubin may be measured as part of a "panel" of tests. The liver is often examined with a battery of tests including:

• alanine transaminase

• aspartate aminotransferase

• alkaline phosphatase

• albumin

• total protein

normal bilirubin blood tests

In older children or adults, normal direct bilirubin levels range from 0 to 0.4 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL).

A normal level of total bilirubin is 0.3 to 1.0 mg/dL.

Indirect circulating bilirubin is total bilirubin minus direct circulating bilirubin. Additionally, normal reference ranges may vary from laboratory to laboratory.

It is normal for newborns to have high bilirubin levels due to the stress of childbirth. Normal indirect bilirubin is less than 5.2 mg/dL in him within 24 hours of birth. However, many newborns have some form of jaundice and bilirubin levels above her 5 mg/dL in the first few days after birth.

Causes of Abnormal Results

If you have high bilirubin levels in your blood, your doctor may order other blood tests and an ultrasound.

In an adult, high bilirubin may be due to problems with the liver, bile ducts, or gallbladder. Examples include:

• liver diseases, like hepatitis

• Gilbert’s syndrome, a genetic disease

• cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver

• biliary stricture, where part of the bile duct is too narrow to allow fluid to pass

• cancer of the gallbladder or pancreas

• gallstones

• drug toxicity

High bilirubin may also be due to problems in the blood instead of problems in the liver. Blood cells breaking down too fast can be caused by:

• Hemolytic anemia: This occurs when too many blood cells are being destroyed from an autoimmune disease, genetic defect, drug toxicity, or infection, and the liver is unable to metabolize the amount of indirect bilirubin in the body.

• Transfusion reaction: This occurs when your immune system attacks blood that was given to you through a transfusion

Infant jaundice

In an infant, high (usually indirect) bilirubin and jaundice can be very dangerous and may be caused by several factors. There are three common types:

• physiological jaundice: at two to four days after birth, caused by a brief delay in the functioning of the liver and usually not serious

• breastfeeding jaundice: during the first week of life, caused by a baby not nursing well or low milk supply in the mother

• breast milk jaundice: after two to three weeks of life, caused by the processing of some substances in breast milk

All of these can be easily treated and are usually harmless if treated.

More serious conditions that cause high bilirubin and jaundice in infants include:

• Abnormal blood cell shape, such as sickle cell anemia

• Cells called erythroblastosis fetalis, in which the baby's red blood cells are severely broken down due to a blood type mismatch between the infant and the mother

• Genetic Deficiency of certain critical proteins

• Bruising due to difficult labor

• Small size, increased red blood cell count due to premature birth

• Infections

Bilirubin blood test

Abnormally high bilirubin level on blood test If indicated, your doctor may order additional tests to determine the underlying cause.

Once your doctor has determined the cause of your high bilirubin level, you may need to do more bilirubin blood tests to monitor the effectiveness of your treatment. If the doctor determines that there is, an imaging test may be ordered to make sure there are no structural abnormalities.