Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis happens when too much iron builds up in the body. Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the part of your blood that carries oxygen to all of your cells. But when there is too much iron, it can damage the liver and heart and lead to other diseases, such as diabetes and arthritis.

Hemochromatosis can be treated to prevent serious problems. But without treatment, hemochromatosis will continue storing iron in the body. When iron levels are dangerously high, organ and tissue damage can happen.

Symptoms often don't appear until a person is age 40 or older. This is because extra iron builds up slowly throughout the person's life. And symptoms appear after a certain amount of extra iron builds up.

The early symptoms are somewhat vague or subtle. So this disease is sometimes mistaken for another condition. Early symptoms include:

• Tiredness.
• Weakness.
• Pain in the joints.
• Weight loss.
• Urinating more often.

Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your medical history. If the doctor suspects hemochromatosis, you will have blood tests to see if you have too much iron in your body.

Most of the time hemochromatosis is caused by a gene that runs in families. It is an autosomal recessive disorder that can be passed to a child from the parents. Hemochromatosis can be found early with a blood test. If you have this disease, you may want to have your children tested to see if they have it. Other family members may also want to be tested. Talking to a genetic counselor will help you decide whether genetic testing is a good idea for you and your family.

Most medical experts do not think it is helpful to screen for hemochromatosis in the general population using blood tests or genetic tests because hemochromatosis is not common. The general population includes people who do not have symptoms of hemochromatosis and who do not have a parent, sibling, or child with the disease.

Treatment for hemochromatosis includes:

• Phlebotomy. This is the most common treatment. It is like donating blood and is done on a regular schedule.
• Chelation therapy (also called chelating agents). This is medicine that helps your body get rid of excess iron. It might be used in some people who can't have phlebotomy.

Treatment can:

• Safely and quickly remove excess iron from the blood.
• Limit the progression and possible complications of the disorder.
• Prevent organ damage, such as in the liver or heart.

Most people need treatment for the rest of their lives. But some people may not need further treatment if their iron levels return to normal and the hemochromatosis is clearly caused by another disease or by a treatment for another disease (such as blood transfusions).

• Be careful about the vitamins and supplements that you take. You should avoid vitamins or supplements that have iron and vitamin C. Vitamin C supplements cause your body to absorb more iron from food. But it is okay to eat foods that have vitamin C (such as oranges).
• Ask your doctor if you need to make any changes in your diet. If you need to reduce the amount of iron in your diet, eat less red meats and organ meats, which contain high amounts of iron. Avoid iron-fortified food, such as some breads and cereals.
• Drink tea and coffee. These drinks can cause your body to absorb less iron from the food you eat. Drinking these beverages does not replace usual treatment.
• Do not use iron cookware. Food cooked in ironware can absorb some of the iron.
• Get hepatitis A and hepatitis B shots. These vaccines can protect your liver.
• Limit or do not drink alcohol. Alcohol can cause more damage to your liver.
• Be careful when you eat seafood. You may be more likely to get sick if you eat undercooked seafood.