Q: Recently I had a blood test. The results said I was borderline anemic. I gave blood yesterday at our local Red Cross and when they tested my left hand they said the iron was low. The nurse said it had to be at least 12.4. When they tested my right hand they said it was 13.5 and I could give blood. Why would there have been a difference in the count? Is there something I should be doing?
A: It would be interesting to know if this was your first time giving blood and if you have had the issue in the past. In any event, anemia is described as a condition in which an individual fails to have sufficient healthy red blood cells to transport adequate oxygen to the tissues of the body. There are a number of forms of anemia and each has its own cause. The condition can be mild to severe and brief to long-term.
Symptoms include fatigue, shortness-of-breath, abnormal heartbeat, cold extremities, pale skin, and more. The iron deficiency anemia which you describe is rather common and presents when the body doesn’t have sufficient iron to produce hemoglobin, the portion of red blood cells that give blood its color. Causes for the condition include blood loss from injury, a menstrual cycle, peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal bleed from the steady use of over-the-counter aspirin and other pain relievers, a lack of iron in the foods you consume, or the inability of a body to absorb iron.
About 70% of the body’s iron is bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells. The remainder is bound to other proteins in bone marrow or is stored in other tissues throughout the body. Normal values range from 12.51 to 15.1 gm/dL for females and 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL for males. Let’s consider this for a moment. How much time lapsed between testing of one arm over the other? Did you leave the Red Cross facility for an hour or longer, have a cold energy drink, or put herbs in your tea or on your food? The absorption of iron takes longer than adding some herbs to tea but fluid levels could certainly be the cause for variations in your levels. Iron readings vary depending on the time of day you are tested. Generally speaking, they are best performed in the morning. Were your results checked against other lab testing such as a complete blood count (CBC) or ferritin testing? A CBC gives a great deal of information about the blood cells and is an indication of disease, while ferritin levels are a good indicator for determining iron deficiency anemia. Keep in mind that machine accuracy, the technique used for blood drawing and where blood is drawn from can affect test results.
I recommend you begin by reviewing your diet. Eat more leafy-green vegetables, liver, fish, foods fortified with iron, and eggs. This might be all that is required to boost your numbers up a bit. Are you a vegetarian? If your diet is restricted and you don’t include foods rich in iron, you may need to make modifications. Then again, if you have an intestinal disorder such as celiac disease, the inability to absorb sufficient foods can lead to iron deficiency anemia. It is believed that healthy men obtain sufficient iron from the foods they eat to last for several years and as such, they rarely develop iron deficiency anemia because of dietary intake. Women are more likely to develop the condition, essentially because of menstruation.
Then follow this with a visit to your primary care physician. If you don’t have one, check in at your nearest walk-in clinic. Explain what the nurse told you and ask for an examination and lab testing. Then, if iron deficiency anemia is diagnosed, the source should be identified and treated. Perhaps you simply need to modify your diet and take an iron supplement. With that under your belt, you’ll be back donating blood before you know it. Congratulations for doing so and good luck.
