Hemochromatosis is commonly referred to as iron overload. The following HealthHearty write-up provides information on the symptoms of this medical condition.
Hemochromatosis is a medical condition which is characterized by excessive absorption of iron. In case of people affected by iron overload, the mechanism that the body employs to regulate iron levels is impaired. In case of hereditary hemochromatosis, the contributing factor is the mutation in the HFE gene, which is the gene that regulates the amount of iron absorbed from food. At times, this condition may develop due to other medical conditions such as chronic liver disease, thalassemia, or anemia.
Symptoms in Children
Iron overload could lead to the following symptoms in children:
- Joint pain
- Muscle aches
- Low energy levels
- Chronic fatigue
- Bronze skin
- Weight loss
- Abdominal pain
Children affected by this condition may or may not experience these symptoms. The symptoms might develop late in life, when there is excessive accumulation of iron in their body.
Symptoms in Women
Women affected by this condition tend to develop severe symptoms. The symptoms that might be experienced by women are as follows:
- Skin discoloration (bronze tinge) due to iron accumulation
- Loss of sexual desire
- Joint pain
- Arthritis
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of body hair
- Weight loss
- Onset of diabetes
- Early menopause
It has been observed that this condition is likely to affect women in the age group of 20 to 50 years.
Symptoms in Men
In case of men, the symptoms gradually develop over the years. Affected men might experience the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain
- Hepatomegaly
- Changes in skin color (bronze tinge)
- Diabetes
- Decrease in sexual drive
- Liver cirrhosis
- Impotence
- Increase in urination
- Liver inflammation
- Liver cancer
- Arrhythmias
- Atrophy of testicles
- Erectile problems
- Redness of palms
- Enlarged spleen
The symptoms appear when more than 10 g of iron accumulates in the body.
Advanced Stage Symptoms
Hemochromatosis does not cause a specific set of symptoms that pinpoint towards the condition, and many of the symptoms are similar to that of other diseases. In the advanced stage, the affected individuals might become susceptible to the following:
- Arthritis
- Abnormal liver function
- Heart abnormality
- Adrenal gland damage
- Damage to the spleen
- Recurrent infections
- Neurological problems
- Infertility
Treatment
The treatment usually involves phlebotomy. This is a process, where blood is removed from the body at regular intervals. This helps in bringing down the levels of iron in the body. The amount of blood that is removed depends on the age and health of the patient, and severity of the disease. If phlebotomy is not possible, then the doctor may prescribe medications that can be injected in the body or taken in form of pills for expelling the excess iron via urine and stool. One may also be advised to follow certain dietary guidelines to keep the iron levels in body in control.
If one experiences the aforementioned symptoms without any apparent health disorder, it would be best to seek medical help for proper diagnosis and treatment. Hemochromatosis can be detected with the help of blood tests. For further queries, speak to your healthcare provider.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.
