 [ Symptoms ] i have been exposed to whooping cough how can i tell if my cold symptoms are early stages of whooping cough  i am 52 years old i have had cold symptoms for 5 days which began as sore throat and developed into nasal congestion runny nose sneezing and coughing cough is not excessive but makes my head and my ribs hurt i have not had a fever [ Disease ] hi low ferritin levels has no significance unless hemoglobin levels are also lowered eat healthy diet and add protein and vitamin supplements thats all no need for any other medicines thanks