What is the difference between iron levels and iron stores?

Question

are they the same thing? I was told that my iron levels are ok but that my iron stores are low

Answer 1

The main store of iron in the body is in ferritin (liver, bone marrow and spleen) but it is stored elsewhere in use in cells.  Iron level likely refers to measurements of iron in blood tests (for deficiency, etc.).  Of course iron is essential to blood (hemoglobin) to transport oxygen to cells.

Answer 2

Iron level is the amount of Iron present in your blood at any given time. Iron stores are the amount of iron you have present in other places that will be deposited into your blood stream if you get low.