What are the side effects of too much iron?

What are the side effects of too much iron?

Iron Toxicity 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.

Is it bad if your iron is too high?

But if it’s not found until it’s more advanced, the high iron levels can damage parts of the body. This can lead to potentially serious complications, such as: liver problems – including scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) or liver cancer. diabetes – where the level of sugar in the blood becomes too high.

How do you get rid of excess iron in your blood?

Treatment Overview Phlebotomy is a procedure that removes blood from the body. Regular phlebotomy treats people who have too much iron in their blood, such as with hemochromatosis, or who are producing too many red blood cells, such as with polycythemia.

Why would my iron be high?

High blood iron is usually the result of hemochromatosis, a disease in which the body absorbs too much iron from the diet. Secondary hemochromatosis is a complication arising from certain diseases, and can also result when multiple blood transfusions are used in treating certain diseases.

What is the life expectancy of someone with hemochromatosis?

Most people with hemochromatosis have a normal life expectancy. Survival may be shortened in people who are not treated and develop cirrhosis or diabetes mellitus.

How is excess iron excreted from the body?

In contrast to iron uptake and recycling, there is no physiologic regulatory mechanism for excreting iron. People lose a small but steady amount by gastrointestinal blood loss, sweating and by shedding cells of the skin and the mucosal lining of the gastrointestinal tract.

Why would your iron be high?

How does high iron make you feel?

High blood iron usually affects the liver, where an overabundance of iron can result in liver swelling and damage. Symptoms of high blood iron include generalized abdominal symptoms, fatigue and lethargy, darkening of the skin, weight loss, and weakness.

What foods lower iron in the blood?

One can choose foods that lower iron absorption such as calcium-rich foods like skimmed milk, yogurt, cheese or calcium-fortified soy milk. It has been found that consuming as much as 300 mg to 600 mg of calcium-rich foods can block the heme iron to block the absorption of iron in the body.

Why is my blood too high in iron?

Alcohol-related illness, such as liver disease, is a common reason for high iron in the blood. Even if liver disease is absent, individuals struggling with alcoholism may have high iron levels. This is because alcohol acts as a catalyst to increase the level of iron absorption in the body.

How high does your iron need to be to give blood?

Your hemoglobin (iron level) must be 11.0 or higher to donate blood for yourself. Your physician may prescribe an iron supplement prior to your donation. Autologous donations must be completed at least a week before intended transfusion.

Is iron bad for your blood?

Approximately two-thirds of the total iron in our bodies can be found in the oxygen-carrying protein of red blood cells known as hemoglobin, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Failure to consume enough iron to keep iron stores in the body high can cause iron-deficiency anemia,…