Iron overload is a condition in which the body accumulates too much iron. Humans extract needed iron from the diet, but when the regulation of intestinal iron absorption is altered, the body can absorb too much iron, leading to iron overload.
Excess iron is deposited in the cells of the liver, heart, pancreas, joints, and pituitary gland.
If left untreated, organ damage can result. People with hereditary hemochromatosis have an inherited propensity to over-absorb iron. Occasionally, some patients become iron-overloaded after years of excessive iron ingestion or with repeated blood transfusions, but most cases are genetic. Abnormalities of liver function tests can also occur in the absence of symptoms. The signs and symptoms of advanced hemochromatosis include gray or bronze skin pigmentation, cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, diabetes, heart disease, joint disease, chronic abdominal pain, sever fatigue and certain infections.