luv1another
May 29th 2005, 01:59 AM
what is it? well read on and find out :teeth: this is a disease my husband has and only found out he had when he was 39 he has blood taken fortnightly so he does not get iron overload... so read the article and find out if maybe you too could have it.
Hemochromatosis
Hemochromatosis is a condition in which the body accumulates excess amounts of iron. Serious and sometimes fatal health problems may result from the excess iron that accumulates in the body as a result of this genetic disorder. The excess iron slowly builds to toxic levels in tissues of major organs such as the liver, heart, brain, pancreas, lungs, and synovium (joints). These overburdened organs cease to function properly and eventually become diseased. Hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) is one of the most common genetic diseases in humans, but it can be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Undiagnosed and untreated HHC can develop into diseases such as diabetes, heart trouble, arthritis, cirrhosis of the liver, neurological problems, depression, impotence, infertility, and liver cancer.
Early disease symptoms of hemochromatosis are nonspecific and can be misdiagnosed as arthritis, diabetes, depression, impotence, liver disease, and other better recognized conditions. Symptoms most common in early stages of HHC include fatigue, heart palpitations, joint pain, non-specific stomach pain, impotence, and loss of menstrual periods. Abnormalities of liver function tests can also occur in the absence of other symptoms.
another couple links to more info...
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic975.htm
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/05/23/hlsd0523.htm
Hemochromatosis
Hemochromatosis is a condition in which the body accumulates excess amounts of iron. Serious and sometimes fatal health problems may result from the excess iron that accumulates in the body as a result of this genetic disorder. The excess iron slowly builds to toxic levels in tissues of major organs such as the liver, heart, brain, pancreas, lungs, and synovium (joints). These overburdened organs cease to function properly and eventually become diseased. Hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) is one of the most common genetic diseases in humans, but it can be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Undiagnosed and untreated HHC can develop into diseases such as diabetes, heart trouble, arthritis, cirrhosis of the liver, neurological problems, depression, impotence, infertility, and liver cancer.
Early disease symptoms of hemochromatosis are nonspecific and can be misdiagnosed as arthritis, diabetes, depression, impotence, liver disease, and other better recognized conditions. Symptoms most common in early stages of HHC include fatigue, heart palpitations, joint pain, non-specific stomach pain, impotence, and loss of menstrual periods. Abnormalities of liver function tests can also occur in the absence of other symptoms.
another couple links to more info...
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic975.htm
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/05/23/hlsd0523.htm