Hereditary Hemochromatosis

July 16th, 2009

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July is National Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) Awareness Month. The reason why there is an awareness month for this genetic disorder is that many people unknowingly suffer from it, which causes them much pain and grief. Read to find out if you may be suffering from HH.

HH is a blood disorder in which the body stores too much iron in the liver, heart, pancreas, skin and gonads. This accumulation of iron can cause someone to suffer from one or many of the following symptoms:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Muscle aches and joint pain
  • Depression
  • Memory problems
  • Swelling of the stomach or bloating
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Disorientation
  • Bronze or grayish pigmentation of the skin
  • Impotence
  • Loss of hair
  • Heart problems
  • Enlarged liver
  • Diabetes
  • Premature menopause

The misdiagnosis of HH can lead someone to damaged organs, which is why it is extremely important that people become aware of the disorder.

Facts about Hereditary Hemochromatosis

  • Men suffer from HH five times more than women
  • Women are diagnosed earlier than men usually
  • Onset of symptoms happen between ages 40 and 60 but some people do show signs at age 20
  • Disease effects 1 in every 200 people
  • Disorder is due to the HFE gene mutation - 1 out of 8 to 10 people carry this gene mutation

Diagnosis of Hereditary Hemochromatosis

If you suffer from the symptoms above and believe you may be an HH sufferer, ask your doctor for a blood test. If you believe there is a family history of the disorder, you can request a genetic test to see if you carry the mutated genes. Remember, just because you have the genes, don’t mean you are guaranteed to suffer from it. Having the genes just increases your risk of suffering from it later in life.

Treatment for HH

There isn’t a cure for this disorder but you can easily manage it by having your blood drawn. Removing blood helps lower your iron levels to normal. Once your iron levels are normal, you can expect to get your blood drawn every two to six months for the rest of your life.

Resources:

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July 16th, 2009 by Marcelina Hardy | Posted in Genetics and Health | (0)

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