| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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Iron is a mineral that our bodies need for growth and development. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. Iron is also important for healthy muscles, bone marrow, and organ function. Your body also needs iron to make some hormones.
How do you get iron?Iron is found naturally in many foods and is added to some fortified food products. Foods that are high in iron include:
Iron is available in supplements, either on its own or as part of many multivitamin/mineral supplements.
What causes low iron?Most people in the United States get enough iron. The amount that you need each day depends on your age, your sex, and whether you consume a mostly plant-based diet.
Sometimes people can have trouble getting enough iron. There can be many causes, including blood loss, a poor diet, or a problem absorbing enough iron from foods. Those who are more likely to have low iron include people who:
If you have too little iron, you may develop iron-deficiency anemia. It may not cause symptoms at first, but over time, it can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and trouble with memory and concentration. Treatment for low iron and iron-deficiency anemia is usually with iron supplements.
What happens if you get too much iron?Too much iron can damage your body. For example, if you are healthy and take too many iron supplements, you may have symptoms such as constipation, nausea and vomiting, abdominal (belly) pain, and diarrhea. Higher iron levels can cause ulcers. Extremely high levels can lead to organ damage, coma, and death.
A disease called hemochromatosis can cause too much iron to build up in the body. Hemochromatosis is inherited (passed down through families). It is usually treated by removing blood (and iron) from your body on a regular basis.
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
If you have anemia, your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that gives the red color to blood. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction.
Conditions that may lead to anemia include:
Anemia can make you feel tired, cold, dizzy, and irritable. You may be short of breath or have a headache.
Your doctor will diagnose anemia with a physical exam and blood tests. Treatment depends on the kind of anemia you have.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Hemochromatosis is a disease in which too much iron builds up in your body. Your body needs iron but too much of it is toxic. If you have hemochromatosis, you absorb more iron than you need. Your body has no natural way to get rid of the extra iron. It stores it in body tissues, especially the liver, heart, and pancreas. The extra iron can damage your organs. Without treatment, it can cause your organs to fail.
There are two types of hemochromatosis. Primary hemochromatosis is an inherited disease. Secondary hemochromatosis is usually the result of something else, such as anemia, thalassemia, liver disease, or blood transfusions.
Many symptoms of hemochromatosis are similar to those of other diseases. Not everyone has symptoms. If you do, you may have joint pain, fatigue, general weakness, weight loss, and stomach pain.
Your doctor will diagnose hemochromatosis based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and the results from tests and procedures. Treatments include removing blood (and iron) from your body, medicines, and changes in your diet.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Your digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine or colon, rectum, and anus. Bleeding can come from any of these areas. The amount of bleeding can be so small that only a lab test can find it.
Signs of bleeding in the digestive tract depend where it is and how much bleeding there is.
Signs of bleeding in the upper digestive tract include:
Signs of bleeding in the lower digestive tract include:
GI bleeding is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease. There are many possible causes of GI bleeding, including hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, tears or inflammation in the esophagus, diverticulosis and diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, colonic polyps, or cancer in the colon, stomach or esophagus.
The test used most often to look for the cause of GI bleeding is called endoscopy. It uses a flexible instrument inserted through the mouth or rectum to view the inside of the GI tract. A type of endoscopy called colonoscopy looks at the large intestine.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Hodgkin lymphoma, also called Hodgkin disease, is a type of cancer that develops in the lymph system. Your lymph system is part of your immune system. It helps protect your body from infection and disease.
The lymph system is made up of tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells. It includes your:
Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the main types of lymphoma. The other is non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Each type starts in different types of white blood cells.
What causes Hodgkin lymphoma?The cause of Hodgkin lymphoma is unknown. But there are certain people who are at higher risk of developing it.
Who is more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma?Certain factors can make you more likely to develop Hodgkin lymphoma:
The signs and symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma may include:
To find out if you have Hodgkin lymphoma, your provider:
Treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma include:
Hodgkin lymphoma can usually be cured if it is found and treated early.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons.
There are many kinds of liver diseases:
Symptoms of liver disease can vary, but they often include swelling of the abdomen and legs, bruising easily, changes in the color of your stool and urine, and jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Tests such as imaging tests and liver function tests can check for liver damage and help to diagnose liver diseases.