A Perplexing Situation...

[CaelesMessorem]

   So this is in regards to a health situation my mother finds herself in (more accurately that she has been in for a while now). She is in her late 40's and has had a fair amount of medical problems, but this one stumps her doctors all the time. She has what is called Hemochromatosis, also known as Iron Overload or Iron Storage Disease. For the sake of keeping the post shorter, you can see more about it here. This in itself is naturally an issue, but what begins to complicate the situation is that, while having too much iron stored, she is also Anemic due to Iron Deficiency.

 

   I know there are a lot of unknown variables, and I will fill in what I can, but based on what I've said and the links posted, how do you believe it's possible to have both too much and too little iron?

[CraigD]

So this is in regards to a health situation my mother finds herself in (more accurately that she has been in for a while now).

Sorry to hear of your mom’s heath problems, and best wishes.

 

I know there are a lot of unknown variables, and I will fill in what I can, but based on what I've said and the links posted, how do you believe it's possible to have both too much and too little iron?

It’s possible to have both too much and to little iron in hour body’s tissues because you can have too much in one kind of tissue, and too little in another.

 

The most important role of iron in in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to all of the cells in the body. Anemia results from having too little hemoglobin.

 

Other tissues, primarily the liver, store iron, but this iron isn’t directly useful in transporting oxygen or other metabolic functions. Its primary use is as a reserve of iron to form new hemoglobin, which is important because red blood cells, which have a lifespan of about 100 days, are constantly dying and being replaced.

 

Normally, about 2.5 grams of iron is contained in hemoglobin, and 2.5 grams in other tissues.

 

Having too much store iron can damage the organs it’s in, which are primarily the liver, and include lesser amounts stored in the heart and pancreas.

 

So it’s possible to have too little iron in hemoglobin, and too much in the liver, heart, pancreas. Also, though less dangerous, excessive iron can cause skin damage and discoloration.

[CaelesMessorem]

Sorry to hear of your mom’s heath problems, and best wishes.

 

It’s possible to have both too much and to little iron in hour body’s tissues because you can have too much in one kind of tissue, and too little in another.

 

The most important role of iron in in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to all of the cells in the body. Anemia results from having too little hemoglobin.

 

Other tissues, primarily the liver, store iron, but this iron isn’t directly useful in transporting oxygen or other metabolic functions. Its primary use is as a reserve of iron to form new hemoglobin, which is important because red blood cells, which have a lifespan of about 100 days, are constantly dying and being replaced.

 

Normally, about 2.5 grams of iron is contained in hemoglobin, and 2.5 grams in other tissues.

 

Having too much store iron can damage the organs it’s in, which are primarily the liver, and include lesser amounts stored in the heart and pancreas.

 

So it’s possible to have too little iron in hemoglobin, and too much in the liver, heart, pancreas. Also, though less dangerous, excessive iron can cause skin damage and discoloration.

 

I appreciate your sentiments, and I know she would as well.

 

   How is it possible for the body not to balance itself out though considering it has both too much and too little? I'm definitely lacking in knowledge when it comes to the body, but I know it has processes for balancing and regulating things like this.

 

   And I'm pretty sure that she said her liver is the focus for the iron deposites. Is it possible to "reset" the liver's iron regulation in order to more efficiently distribute it?