1. Wash your hands with soap and rinse.
2. Open the box and remove the 6 items, placing them on a clean and flat surface.
3. Take the lancet and carefully rotate and pull off the cap of the lancet.
4. Wipe the fingertip of the middle or ring finger with the alcohol pad and allow to air-dry.
5. Take the lancet and press down on the cleaned finger. A small drop of blood should appear. Wipe it with the alcohol pad. A small drop of blood should appear. Wipe it with the alcohol pad.
6. Collect blood up to the black line indicated on the capillary dropper.
7. Release and dispense all the blood collected by the capillary dropper into the specimen well on the cassette, by squeezing the dropper bulb.
8. Unscrew the cap of the buffer bottle, add 2 drops of buffer in the buffer well (s) of the cassette and start a timer.
9. Leave the cassette on a clean horizontal surface and wait for the coloured line(s) to appear. Read the results after 5 minutes.
10. Compare the results with the card to learn your results - Normal, Abnormal or Invalid.

Why is iron important for the body?

Iron is used to make haemoglobin which is found in red blood cells. Haemoglobin is important for carrying oxygen around the body. If you don't have enough haemoglobin then your body is not going to get the oxygen it requires to function at its best. This low level of haemoglobin/red blood cells is called anaemia.

Iron is also important for the healthy growth of hair, skin and nails. 

What are the symptoms of iron deficiency?

If you are iron deficient, then you can experience a wide variety of symptoms. These include (most common in bold):

• Tiredness
• Becoming fatigued quickly during exercise
• Looking pale
• Memory problems
• Brittle hair and nails
• Poor concentration
• Getting out of breath quicker than normal
• Slow wound healing 

If your iron deficiency goes untreated, then it can lead to other problems within your body, such as heart problems, liver problems and the ability to fight infections. 

What can cause iron deficiency?

It’s important to remember that for the vast majority of people iron deficiency is due to easily managed conditions, such as heavy periods or nutritional intake. Iron deficiency can sometimes be caused by diseases such as stomach ulcers, inflammation of the bowel, and some cancers. 

Can I do anything to help improve my iron levels?

If your low iron is due to a disease, then you need to treat the disease. Without treating the disease, it’s a bit like running a bath without the plug in - it’ll never fill up! 

If your low iron is not due to a disease, then you can increase your iron intake. Foods rich in iron include: Liver (do not eat during pregnancy), red meat, beans (such as red kidney beans, and chickpeas), nuts, and dried fruits. 

You can also do some things to help your body absorb more iron such as ensuring you are taking enough vitamin C, avoiding cow’s milk at meal times (calcium interferes with absorption) and avoiding tea and coffee at meal times (the phenols in tea and coffee can also interfere with absorption). 

Will I need further tests if I am found to be iron deficiency?

It is important to find the cause of iron deficiency when it is diagnosed. It is likely your doctor will want to do further blood tests to check other things such as your kidney and liver function. They may also ask for a urine and poo sample. 

If the cause is easily identified and treated, then further tests are not usually necessary, however if your doctor can’t find the cause, then you might need to go for further tests such as scan or camera tests of your bowel.