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What is sideremia and normal values

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

What is sideremia? This is the most frequently asked question among people hearing this strange name for the first time. It is not a disease or a rare or unknown pathology; sideremia is the name given to serum iron in the blood serum, which can be expected, deficient or elevated, depending on the condition clinical status of each person, gender, and age. The concentration of this mineral is measured through a simple blood test.

The value of sideremia, or serum iron concentration in the blood serum, is commonly requested to rule out conditions such as anemia and other usually hematological pathologies altering the expected levels of this mineral. Therefore, it is necessary to know the cause of this disorder to treat it properly. In this FastlyHealarticle, we explain what sideremia is and its average values.

What are sideremia and average values?

Sideremia is the concentration of serum iron in the blood serum. This yellowish liquid is the component of the blood that results after the coagulation of the same and the elimination of the clot. This substance is the same as blood plasma; it lacks the proteins involved during the clotting process, better known as fibrinogen.

The concentration of iron in the blood serum may be higher in men than in women. Typical values ​​for sideremia range from 50 to 150 mg / dL. The presence of serum iron in the blood serum is decreased when the levels are below 30 ug / dL, known as hyposideremia. It is altered when the value is above 150 mg / dL, indicating hypersideremia. The causes of an alteration in this blood measurement will depend on whether the values ​​are altered or deficient.

It is essential to clarify that sideremia is the concentration of iron in the blood serum, so it should not be confused with ferritin, which measures the binding capacity of iron transported by transferrin. This protein transports this mineral through the bloodstream. . In this article, you can learn more about high ferritin.

Causes of hypersideremia

Hypersideremia is a disorder that responds to altered serum iron levels in the blood serum. This condition can be due to multiple causes, mostly hematological. Let’s see what they are:

hemolytic anemia

It is a condition that occurs because the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. These cells generally last up to 120 days in the body, but when hemolytic anemia is present, the red blood cells are destroyed earlier than usual. It is important to remember that this blood component is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body through hemoglobin.

Hemolytic anemia occurs when the bone marrow can not replenish red blood cells destroyed, which may be due to genetic abnormalities, infection, or exposure to toxic or chemical consumption of certain drugs.

Pernicious anemia

This type of anemia occurs when there are not enough red blood cells in the body because the intestines cannot properly absorb vitamin B12, a vital substance for producing blood cells. The leading causes of this type of anemia are atrophic gastritis or weakening of the stomach lining and autoimmune disease.

Thalassemia

It is an inherited blood disorder transmitted from parents to children. It is characterized by producing an abnormal form of hemoglobin, a substance that carries oxygen through the conduction of red blood cells in the blood. This type of irregular hemoglobin destroys red blood cells and causes hemolytic anemia. This article explains more about thalassemias’ causes, styles, and symptoms.

Hemochromatosis

It is a disease that occurs when there is too much-concentrated serum iron in the body. It can be a genetic disorder that causes the body to absorb too much mineral through the digestive tract to concentrate it mainly in the liver and pancreas. Other causes can be anemia, thalassemia, or excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. Find out more about hemochromatosis in this article.

Hepatitis jaundice

It is one of the few causes of abnormal sideremia that does not originate directly in the blood, although it is related to it. Jaundice is the yellowish color that the skin takes on due to bilirubin from old red blood cells. Jaundice is a consequence of other diseases; in this particular case, it is due to an infection in the liver.

Causes of hyposideremia

Hyposideremia is a disorder that responds to deficient levels of serum iron in the blood serum. This condition is usually caused due to iron deficiency anemia:

Anemia ferropénica

It occurs because the body has a significant iron deficiency that prevents the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow from being normal enough to transport oxygen throughout the body properly. This is the most common form of anemia.

A person may be deficient in iron because:

  • More red blood cells and iron are lost than the body can replace.
  • Iron is not adequately absorbed by the body.
  • The person does not consume enough iron through diet.
  • The woman is pregnant, and her body needs more iron than usual.
  • Heavy bleeding or bleeding has been experienced, which has led to a loss of iron.
  • Other diseases such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and gastric weight loss surgery are suffered.
  • The person consumes excessive amounts of antacids with calcium.
  • The person is a vegetarian.

Treatment of altered values ​​due to sideremia

As we were able know previously, the abnormal serum iron concentration in the blood corresponds to a series of hematological complications that must be diagnosed to find the appropriate treatment to achieve average values ​​of sideremia again.

In the case of iron deficiency anemia, treatment may suggest the consumption of iron supplements and changes in eating habits that allow a greater quantity of foods rich in this mineral to be included. Iron deficiency anemia usually stabilizes within a couple of months when iron levels return to normal.

In the case of anemias that can cause hypersideremia, treatment should be chosen after a series of comprehensive examinations and studies of the production of red blood cells and the functioning of the spinal cord. In general, these conditions require the consumption of drugs that equalize the amount of iron in the blood serum and consider red blood cell transfusions as an alternative method to treat their absence.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any kind of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to What sideremia is and average values, we recommend that you enter our category of Blood, heart and circulation .

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