Is there anything that can be done to treat or prevent iron overload?

Iron overload: Those patients who have had blood work that show anemia, are often put on iron. If this is you, you should have blood work on a regular basis to make sure you still need the iron supplement. Hemachromatosis is an inherited condition where iron is stored and can cause liver damage. Routine blood work along with special testing will diagnosis this and prevent iron overload and damage.

Yes: The most common reason for iron overload is due to chronic transfusion. If the underlying condition improves, iron can be removed by bleeding the patient (phlebotomy). There are also oral medications that chelate (bind and lead to excretion of) iron. Prevention will be dependent on the underlying cause.