Iron is one of the most important components of blood, which is a necessary component of hemoglobin and takes a direct part in the process of hematopoiesis.
A sufficient level of iron in the body is necessary to ensure the process of binding, transport and transfer of oxygen during the blood circulation. Iron enters our body with food, and after digestion in the intestine spreads through the blood vessels. Stocks of iron in the body are deposited in the liver, bone marrow and spleen.
The general state of the body depends on the level of hemoglobin. With a lack of iron, a person can experience fatigue, decreased immunity or iron deficiency anemia. With its excess, even more dangerous conditions may appear.
When is the test done?
To determine the level of iron in the body is necessary for :
- estimates of iron stores in the body;
- establishing the cause of anemia;
- diagnosis of hemosiderosis in chronic blood transfusion;
- if there is a suspicion of iron deficiency anemia after a general blood test;
- when taking medications that have iron in their composition to control the treatment;
- in the diagnosis of iron poisoning, as well as hereditary diseases in which iron accumulates in the internal organs( hemochromatosis).
Symptoms of
The most common symptoms of an overabundance of iron include:
- rapid fatigue;
- abdominal pain( in the liver region);
- hair loss;
- weight loss;
- shortness of breath;
- impotence;
- increase in liver size;
- joint disease.
If the reasons are harmless, then a person may not feel an increase in the amount of the element under discussion in the blood. Only an appropriate analysis will help to notice this.
The norm of iron in the blood
If you take absolute indices, then in the body of a normal healthy person can contain up to 5 g of this mineral. However, everything is good in moderation. And if the specified norm of the content of iron in the blood is exceeded, it can also have not too pleasant, and sometimes very serious consequences for the body.
In the norm of iron in the blood should be present:
- Newborns - 7.16 - 17.8 μmol / l;
- From 1 year to 14 years - 9 - 21,3 μmol / l;
- Girls and women over 14 years old - 9.05-30.4 μmol / l;
- Young men and men - 11.65 - 31.2 micromol / l.
The main functions of the of this trace element are:
- Providing the necessary structure of the protein molecule of red blood cell hemoglobin for oxygen retention;
- Participation in oxidative reactions in cells( helps to assimilate oxygen).
The main functions of iron in the blood coincide with one of the main tasks of the blood itself and the hemoglobin contained in it. Blood( erythrocytes and hemoglobin) takes oxygen from the external environment into the lungs and transports it to the remotest corners of the human body, and carbon dioxide, formed as a result of breathing tissues, takes out for removal from the body.
Causes of elevated iron in the blood
Why is elevated iron in the blood, and what does it mean? Excess iron can indicate the course of various serious diseases in the body:
- Excessive absorption in the gastrointestinal tract in violation of the limiting mechanism( hemochromatosis).
- Jade. Kidney disease, which disrupts the utilization of old elements from the blood.
- Liver disorders( viral and acute hepatitis of any origin, acute liver necrosis, chronic cholecystitis, various hepatopathies).
- Lead poisoning. With intoxication, the disintegration of erythrocytes intensifies, and the functions of the organs participating in the hematopoiesis are disrupted.
- Iron poisoning. Occurs when excessive use of iron preparations.
- The level of iron can also increase due to prolonged use of drugs, especially hormones and contraceptives.
The manifestation of elevated iron can be various types of anemia:
- Hemolytic is an autoimmune destruction of its own red blood cells or under the influence of toxic toxic substances.
- Anemia with disruption of porphyrin synthesis and heme - is associated with a deficiency of enzymes in the bone marrow.
- Aplastic - the process of building red blood cells and other blood elements is disturbed under the influence of the use of medicines( barbiturates, antibiotics, sulfonamides, cytostatics), acute infections, poisoning, X-ray irradiation.
- Anemia associated with with a deficiency of vitamin B12 - most often a consequence of an operation to remove a part of the stomach in peptic ulcer, malignant tumor.
As you can see, there are a lot of diseases that can lead to an elevated gland in the blood. Therefore, this phenomenon, which is dangerous in itself, can prove to be a really disturbing symptom.