Haemochromatosis
Overview
Haemochromatosis is an inherited condition where iron levels in the body slowly build up over many years.
Symptoms
Symptoms of haemochromatosis usually start between the ages of 30 and 60. Common symptoms include: feeling very tired all the time (fatigue)weight lossweaknessjoint painan inability to get or maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction)irregular periodsor stopped or missed periodsBrain fog, mood swings,depressionandanxiety Read more about symptoms of haemochromatosis
Causes
Haemochromatosis is caused by a faulty gene that affects how the body absorbs iron from your diet. You're at risk of developing the condition if both of your parents have this faulty gene and you inherit 1 copy from each of them. You will not get haemochromatosis if you only inherit 1 copy of the faulty gene but there's a chance you could pass the faulty gene on to any children you have. If you do inherit 2 copies, you will not necessarily get haemochromatosis. Only a small number of people with 2 copies of this faulty gene will ever develop the condition. It's not known exactly why this is. Read more about the causes of haemochromatosis
Treatment
There's currently no cure for haemochromatosis, but there are treatments that can reduce the amount of iron in the body and reduce the risk of damage. There are 2 main treatments. venesection (phlebotomy) – a procedure to remove some of your blood; this may need to be done every week at first and can continue to be needed 2 to 4 times a year for the rest of your lifechelation therapy – where you take medicine to reduce the amount of iron in your body; this is only used if it's not easy to regularly remove some of your blood You do not need to make any big changes to your diet to control your iron levels if you're having treatment, but you'll usually be advised to avoid: breakfast cereals containing added ironiron orvitamin Csupplementsdrinking too much alcohol Read more about how haemochromatosis is treated
When to see a doctor
See a GP if you have: persistent or worrying symptoms that could be caused by haemochromatosis – particularly if you have a northern European family backgrounda parent or sibling with haemochromatosis, even if you do not have symptoms yourself – tests can be done to check if you're at risk of developing problems Talk to the GP about whether you should have blood tests to check for haemochromatosis. Read more about tests for haemochromatosis