Iron and ferritin: the fatigue test people forget to ask for
Low iron shows up as tiredness, hair loss, and poor exercise tolerance long before it becomes anemia.
A standard CBC can look normal while your iron stores are running on fumes. Ferritin — the storage form of iron — is the test that catches it early. It's especially worth asking for if you menstruate, are vegetarian, or exercise heavily.
What to ask for
Request an 'iron studies' panel: ferritin, serum iron, TIBC, and transferrin saturation. Ferritin under 30 ng/mL suggests low stores even if hemoglobin is normal.
Don't self-supplement iron without testing. Too much iron is genuinely harmful and masks other conditions.
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