How does iron overload make you feel?

Too much iron (not too little) can cause serious health problems like fatigue, joint pain, diabetes and liver disease. Feeling a bit tired and worn out? Vague symptoms like these are common in iron deficiency and anaemia.

How do you detox your body from iron?

The body has no easy way to dispose of extra iron. The most effective way to get rid of excess iron is blood loss. Therefore, menstruating women are less likely to experience iron overload. Likewise, those who donate blood frequently are at lower risk.

What happens if you get too much iron?

Excess iron is stored in your organs, especially your liver, heart and pancreas. Too much iron can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as liver disease, heart problems and diabetes.

What are the symptoms of iron overload in blood?

People with mild iron overload usually have no symptoms. Others typically feel weak and fatigued. Severe iron overload causes the same symptoms as in hemochromatosis: Transferrin, the protein that carries iron in blood when iron is not inside red blood cells The goal of treatment is to reduce the body’s iron content.

Are there symptoms of hereditary hemochromatosis or iron overload?

While the symptoms are often silent in the early stages of hereditary hemochromatosis or iron overload, as it progresses it can lead to: *High bilirubin, and elevated liver enzymes on lab tests can also hint at iron overload. [5] How common is hereditary hemochromatosis or iron overload?

What to do if you have secondary iron overload?

However, many people with secondary iron overload also have anemia. Because phlebotomy worsens anemia, these people are given iron chelation therapy. Iron chelation may be given by mouth using deferasirox or deferiprone or by an infusion of deferoxamine, which can be given under the skin (subcutaneous) or into a vein (intravenous).

Who is most at risk for iron overload?

However, even those without the standard hereditary hemochromatosis diagnosis can have a tendency toward iron overload. Those who are carriers or heterozygous with only a single copy of either HFE gene can display symptoms of iron overload.

What are the symptoms of too much iron in the body?

Symptoms of Too Much Iron in Blood. Symptoms of too much iron in blood are vague, subtle and can go unnoted. Worse, they are easily attributed to other diseases, condition, and nutrition of the individual. Early iron overload symptoms include. Tiredness. Darkening of the skin (bronzing) Low libido. Weakness.

What is the most common cause of iron overload?

Iron overload occurs when excess iron accumulates in the body. The most common cause of iron overload is hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that affects between one in 200 and one in 400 individuals and is caused by mutations in the HFE C282Y and H63D genes.

How to reduce an iron overload?

The simplest, most effective way to eliminate iron excess is through serial phlebotomy , also known as bloodletting . Blood banks and labs that use the latest equipment are the best settings for this treatment. Usually, 250 mg iron (approximately 500 ml blood) is removed each week. Drink water and rest before and after the procedure.

What happens if you take too much iron?

Excessive iron can be damaging to the gastrointestinal system. Symptoms of iron toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. Over time, iron can accumulate in the organs, and cause fatal damage to the liver or brain.