I have been diagnosed with low iron levels in my blood (20 UG where 59 UG is normal low level) and low overall iron at 8 NG/ML. This sounds serious for someone who has only donate blood (about 2 gallons) as a cause of this deficiency. What are some other causes?
Thank you for asking on Chat Doctor. Low iron reserves and low serum iron can be due to decreased intake in diet, reduced absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, or due to increased loss from the body via some occult bleeding. Include iron rich foods like green leafy vegetables in your diet. Jagger is a good source of iron which can be taken after food. Make sure you do not suffer from any kind of malabsorption which might be leading to reduced absorption. If yes then direct your approach to treating that malabsorption. And go in for tests like stool occult blood and urine microscopy to rule out any blood loss. If hemoglobin is also low then it is advisable to start using iron supplements in form of tablets. Kindly be informed that iron will not get absorbed well if taken along with calcium as they form ch elates. Hope this is helpful.