Can You Get Sick With Iron Overload?

The answer is yes. Like everything else in this world, too much of something can spell out something bad or a not likable result. Though iron is needed for oxygen transportation in the body, overdose of iron can cause overload hemochromatosis.

Iron overload hemochromatosis is a condition wherein dangerous levels of iron is accumulated and remained on the blood of the human body. It leads to a lot of fatal complications such as the failure of the heart, the liver, and the pancreas. This is the most common iron overload disease in statistics.

The body has no functional system that can release excessive iron in the body. Therefore, iron builds up and gets absorbed within the tissues particularly of the heart, pancreas, and liver. There is a primary and a secondary type of hemochromatosis. Primary iron overload hemochromatosis is also known as hereditary hemochromatosis and is being passed down through generations by genetics. The secondary hemochromatosis came from other factors like anemia, alcohol and other underlying causes.

The disease commonly affects people 15-30 years of age. They usually occur in caucassian and European descents particularly from the north. Severe pain located in the joints is one of the primary complains of those who suffer from the disease. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, lethargy, and loss of sexual drive. However, iron overload hemochromatosis often remains asymptomatic until they are diagnosed.

The disease could also lead to a lot of other serious complication such as liver cirrhosis, arthritis, impotence, thyroid deficiency, organ failure and many more. The first step in treating the illness is to do phlebotomy. It is a procedure where in blood is drawn from the body like that of the blood donation charities and blood banks. This will be done on repeated occasions throughout the year to lower the ferritin levels of the blood. After such results, maintenance by reintroducing blood to the system again will soon follow.

If the patient came with damage already, the complications should be addressed right away. Too much aggravation decreases the guarantee of treatment. It may even increase your chances of developing liver cancer.