Iron is an essential mineral your body uses to generate red blood cells and transport oxygen to your cells, tissues and organs. Though health professionals with the Office of Dietary Supplements report that an estimated 80 percent of people throughout the world have low iron levels, too much iron may also cause health problems.
What Causes It
If you have recurrent or congenital anemia -- a condition in which your body does not produce enough red blood cells -- you may be required to undergo several blood transfusions each year to keep your red blood cell count in check. Repeated blood transfusions may increase your risk of experiencing chronic iron overload because each unit of blood you receive contains 250 mg of iron, according to the University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library. Alternatively, your doctor may recommend treatment with an oral iron supplement to help restore your iron levels. Improper or excessive use of iron supplements may also induce chronic iron toxicity. Alcoholics are also at risk of developing chronic iron toxicity because excessive alcohol consumption damages the liver. Liver damage interferes with the ability of your liver to remove toxins, such as excess iron, from your body.
What Are the Symptoms
You may experience a variety of severe symptoms if you have too much iron in your body. Iron may irritate your digestive tract, causing symptoms of nausea or bloody diarrhea or vomit. You may also develop an unpleasant metallic taste in your mouth, which may exacerbate stomach discomfort. Persistently high iron levels may also affect your central nervous system, leading to symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, fever, lethargy, headache or convulsions, MedlinePlus explains. Your skin may appear unusually pale or flushed and your fingernails or lips may develop a bluish tint. These symptoms of chronic iron toxicity typically develop progressively over time and may be difficult to detect. Seek immediate medical care if you exhibit any of these symptoms to ensure you receive proper care. In the absence of appropriate treatment, chronic iron toxicity may cause life-threatening complications.
Are There Complications
Persistently high iron levels may cause severe medical complications including respiratory distress, liver damage, coma or shock. Iron toxicity may result in the accumulation of fluid in your lungs, which may cause severe breathing difficulties. You may also experience a sudden, significant drop in your blood pressure that may cause your body to go into shock. These complications may be fatal if you do not receive immediate, emergency medical care.
How is it Treated
Treatment for chronic iron toxicity involves removing excess iron from the blood. Typically, this involves treatment with chelating agents, such as deferoximine, which directly binds iron and removes it from the body through your urine, the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library reports. Treatment of acute iron toxicity, which occurs when you take a single, excessive dose of iron, may involve gastric lavage. During gastric lavage, a medical professional inserts a tube into your stomach through your mouth and removes the contents of your stomach through the tube.
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