Haemochromatosis Organization

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Welcome to Haemochromatosis.org ! At this site you will find important information and recommended books about haemochromatosis you can order by clicking the associated pictures.

We highly recommend "The Hemochromatosis Cookbook" full of mouthwatering recipes that haemochromatosis sufferers AND their families will love! If you buy It NOW through the link below you will be helping to keep this site running! We also recommend "The Iron Disorders Institute Guide To Haemochromatosis"

We are all told how important iron is to our diets - we are hounded with the importance of eating red meat three times a week to prevent iron deficiency - iron is added to our breakfast cereals and other foods to make sure we have enough, if we are feeling fatigue and lethargy, we may even resort to iron pills in a bid to "up our iron" and this may be necessary for those who are actually diagnosed by blood test iron deficient, but for one in 50 to 400 who have inherited a genetic disorder, this sort of lifestyle is a lethal time bomb. Iron overload is a seriously deadly disorder that affects many people who are not aware they have it until the damage is done and sadly, many will never know they actually have what is known as haemochromatosis, which is entirely preventable if diagnosed early enough.

Various studies in around the world have shown a prevalence of 1 in 400 in Caucasians and as high as 1 in 50 for people of Irish ancestry.

Symptoms include chronic fatigue, abdominal pain, and joint pain. Grey or bronze pigmentation of the skin is also common. Some symptoms can be relieved through phlebotomy. Liver cirrhosis, cancer, arthritis, early menopause, loss of libido, impotence, heart problems such as congestive heart failure, can all be caused by untreated haemochromatosis. Research has suggested that haemochromatosis may be responsible for alzheimer's disease and parkinson's disease in some people. Diabetes is also prevalent. Infact, bronze diabetes is also another name by which the disease has been known over the years because of the bronze discoloration of the skin that excess iron will cause.

Iron overload is NOT prevented with any sort of medication. Giving blood is the only way to prevent the damage that is done to organs and joints throughout the years. Giving blood (known by those who give blood therapeutically as a phlebotomy) not only saves your life, it saves the lives of many others who desperately need it - it's a win/win! You can read about phlebotomies by clicking this link.

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What Is Haemochromatosis?

Haemochromatosis, also spelled hemochromatosis, is a metabolic condition that causes increased absorption of dietary iron, which is deposited in the body tissues and organs. The iron accumulates over a long period of time where it is deposited in many parts of the body including joints and organs such as the liver, pancreas and heart. Iron overload is potentially fatal but easily prevented.

There have been many cases of people who have been misdiagnosed for years with conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, whereas a simple blood test would have diagnosed excessive iron and allowed for simple lifesaving treatment which can alleviate the debilitating symptoms. One in 7 caucasians carry a single copy of the C282Y gene which is responsible for haemochromotosis. One in about 200 people carry two genes which gives them a far greater chance of developing the illnesses associated with haemochromatosis.

Haemochromatosis can be treated by a specialist in liver disorders (hepatologist), digestive disorders (gastroenterologist), or blood disorders (hematologist). Other specialists may be part of the treatment team, such as an cardiologist, endocrinologist, or rheumatologist. General practitioners can also treat the disease, depending on the how you are affected by the disease.

Please keep reading to learn more about how to prevent and treat haemochromatosis by visiting the appropriate pages within this site.

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