Feeling Weak or Tired? On the contrary, you may have too much iron!

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As part of Haemochromatosis awareness week, we would like to take this opportunity to share with you a little bit about this condition to help develop a better understanding of the most common genetic disorder here in Australia.¹

Haemochromatosis is a condition whereby your digestive tract absorbs too much iron from your diet, which leads to an excess amount of iron being stored in your body. If undetected and untreated, the excess iron can cause organ or tissue damage and can potentially result in premature death; however if it’s discovered before damage occurs (usually through a blood test), it can be easily treated.¹

Symptoms take a while to develop and varies across individuals. At the time of diagnosis:^{1, 2}

• 75% of patients have weakness and lethargy
• 70% of patients have darkening of their skin
• 44% of patients have joint pain

Treatment involves phlebotomy i.e. the removal of blood by venesection (similar to donating blood). A certain amount of blood is removed from your body at regular intervals until the desired iron levels in your blood is achieved and the entire process can take up to 18 months. Once optimum levels are achieved, the frequency of phlebotomy will be less to help maintain it throughout your lifetime.¹

In conclusion, excess iron can lead to damage of certain body parts and early detection is crucial. If you notice any unusual symptoms, the best thing to do is to seek medical advice earlier rather than later. Feel free to share this article with your friends and family members to help create awareness of haemochromatosis and empower more people in the community! For ongoing health and medicine updates, follow our Facebook page and Website!

References

1. Haemochromatosis Australia. Haemochromatosis – inherited iron overload disorder [Internet]. Haemochromatosis Australia [updated 2017 Feb 1; cited 2018 May 21]. Available from: https://haemochromatosis.org.au/explanation/
2. Haemochromatosis Australia. The symptoms of haemochromatosis [Internet]. Haemochromatosis Australia [updated 2017 Feb 1; cited 2018 May 21]. Available from: https://haemochromatosis.org.au/symptoms/
3. Bruce R Bacon, Stanley L Schrier. Patient education: Hemochromatosis (hereditary iron overload) (Beyond the Basics) [Internet]. UpToDate [updated 2017 Mar 13; cited 2018 May 21]. Available from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/hemochromatosis-hereditary-iron-overload-beyond-the-basics