Iron Deficiency, Iron Excess, And Hemochromatosis

Iron is the most abundant trace mineral in your body. Iron allows your body to make red blood cells and helps deliver oxygen to the tissues in your muscles. Iron is also important for the synthesis of neurotransmitters, which send messages from your brain to other parts of your body. If your body contains too little or too much iron, it can disrupt normal body functioning and lead to serious complications.

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency, which is characterized by fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin, coldness in the hands and feet and chest pain, occurs when there is not enough iron in your body. As iron deficiency progresses, your body may not be able to make enough red blood cells, leading to a more serious condition called iron-deficiency anemia.

The most common cause of iron deficiency is blood loss, although malabsorption disorders and inadequate dietary intake of iron can also lead to iron deficiency. Depending on the cause of iron deficiency, treatment may consist of oral iron supplements or intravenous injections.

Iron Excess

Iron excess, more commonly referred to as iron overload, is characterized by too much iron in the body. Iron overload can be genetic or may occur as a result of blood transfusions, iron injections or excess iron supplementation.

Iron overload can cause a number of different symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain, abdominal pain, impotence, changes in skin color, irregular heartbeat, decreased libido and hair loss. Too much iron can also interfere with normal body processing, causing an underactive thyroid gland, adrenal gland disorders, increased blood sugar levels and osteoporosis. A common cause of iron overload is hemochromatosis.

Hemochromatosis

Normally, your body absorbs 10 percent of dietary iron. Hemochromatosis is a hereditary condition that causes your body to absorb too much iron, around 30 percent, from the foods you eat. Your major organs, such as heart, liver and pancreas, absorb this excess iron, which damages the organs and can lead to serious health problems like cancer, heart disease and liver disease, according to MayoClinic.com.

Some people with hemochromatosis don't ever experience any physical symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may include joint pain, fatigue, decreased libido, absence of normal menstruation and pain in the abdomen. Because these symptoms are similar to other common conditions, MayoClinic.com notes that hemochromatosis is often difficult to diagnose.

Treatment

One of the most common treatment methods for both iron overload and hemochromatosis is blood removal. Because approximately two-thirds of the iron in your body is found in your hemoglobin, the protein of red blood cells, removing blood removes a significant amount of iron from the body.

MayoClinic.com notes that initially, you may have a pint of blood removed from your body once or twice per week. As iron levels decrease, you may only need to have blood removed four to six times per year. Specific treatment and amount of blood drawn depends on your condition as well as your physical characteristics, such as age and sex.