Iron overload disease is a disease that causes iron to build up throughout the body. The buildup of iron can damage or destroy organs. If the disease is found early, it can be treated and the damage can be prevented.
The liver, heart, pancreas, and hormone levels are most affected by the slow buildup of iron in the body.
About 3 of every 1,000 people in the US have iron overload disease. It is more common in people of English, French, Swedish, or Portuguese descent. Men are more likely to have symptoms at a younger age than women. They usually start having symptoms between 30 and 50 years of age. Women often don’t start having symptoms until menopause. Before menopause women are protected somewhat from the disease because they lose iron when they have periods and during childbirth.
Another name for iron overload disease is hemochromatosis. There are 2 types of hemochromatosis: primary and secondary.
If you inherited the gene that causes primary hemochromatosis from both of your parents, it is likely you will have the disease. It means that you have 2 faulty genes—one from each parent. The faulty genes cause your body to absorb more iron than usual from the foods you eat. If you inherited the faulty gene from just 1 of your parents, you are a carrier but usually you will not have the disease. Being a carrier means that you can pass the defective gene to your children.
Secondary hemochromatosis is not a genetic problem. It tends to occur in people who have frequent blood transfusions to treat certain kinds of anemia. It can also sometimes happen if you take too many iron supplements.
You may not have any symptoms for years. Symptoms usually start in middle age. They include:
Iron overload disease can be diagnosed from blood tests. These tests can find the problem before symptoms appear.
If you don’t have any symptoms or family history of the disease, it is usually discovered from blood tests done for some other reason. When these blood tests show signs of liver damage or too much iron, specific blood tests for Iron overload disease can be done. If these blood tests show that you have Iron overload disease, you may have a liver biopsy. When you have a liver biopsy your healthcare provider numbs the skin over the area of the liver (by the lower right rib cage). Your provider then puts a hollow needle through your skin and into your liver. The needle is used to remove a tiny amount of liver tissue. The tissue is examined for signs of too much iron and liver damage.
The treatment is very simple: excess iron is removed from your body by removing blood. When your level of iron is high, you may need to have a pint of blood removed once or twice a week until your iron level is normal. Your blood is taken the same way it is when you donate blood.
You may need to have blood removed every week for several months. Your iron levels will be checked with blood tests. The tests will determine if, when, and how much blood needs to be taken. When your iron levels are back to normal, you will probably need to repeat the treatment every 2 to 4 months to keep normal levels.
If your liver or other organs are damaged and causing problems, these problems will also be treated. You may need to take medicine for problems such as:
Joint pain can be treated with anti-inflammatory medicines.
If your liver has started scarring and the Iron overload disease isn’t treated, it may progress to serious liver disease and liver failure. A liver transplant may be the only option in this case.
An important part of treatment is to avoid drinking alcohol and avoid taking medicines that can worsen liver damage. It is also important to avoid iron and vitamin C supplements, both of which are in many preparations of multiple vitamins. You need to avoid vitamin C because it helps your body absorb more iron.
If you do not have any symptoms of Iron overload disease, you will have regular checks of your iron levels so blood can be removed when your levels get too high. This will prevent symptoms and organ damage.
Once you start having symptoms, you may keep having symptoms even with treatment. This means you may need to continue treatment for heart, thyroid, liver, erectile dysfunction, and joint problems. This depends on how much damage was done before you started treatment. Treatment usually stops organ damage from getting worse. In some cases it may even reverse some damage.
With early diagnosis and treatment, the damage caused by Iron overload disease can be prevented. If you have a family history of Iron overload disease, you should have tests to see if you have the disease or if your iron levels are getting too high. This will prevent organ damage.
