Haemochromatosis

[terrence]

hi.l have had this condition for a number of years and all my siblings.so if you need to know anything about this condition I can tell you my experience with it.if not controlled it can be a silent killer

[terrence]

Hi again.first of all its the blood test if suspected haemochromatosis its then into hospital for a liver biopsy to show the level of the iron in the liver,not pleasant,if the levels are high they will take units of blood until levels drop ,can take a while.it was unusual to find in females as the iron was lost in the monthly period but only last month my niece was diagnosed.throughout the years most of the males in our family have died prematurely,before the age of 60,heart problems and cancer of internal organs but it wasn't until the last 20 years that we found out what this condition can do to you.but now we know it can be controlled by eating a low iron diet and most importantly no alcohol as this can lead to irreversible liver damage.there's alot more information i can pass on but is getting late now got to get up early if you want,tomorrow i will give you a bit more info.

[terrence]

Hi nolegion here are a few facts on the condition.when you have high levels of iron in your body you will know about it some of the symptoms will be yellowing of the skin aching joints extreme tiredness and you may get blisters on the hands and feet a generally feeling unwell.how my consultant best described it to me was,if put a nail in a bucket of water and leave it ,what happens to the nail,it rusts' and corrodes.this is what happens to your internal organs the condition damages you inside out .am i right in thinking that like myself your no spring chicken,me 51,if so i should of thought you may have shown some symptoms by now if you haven't maybe your clear.i was diagnosed at the age of 20 and for 20 years i was having one,sometimes 2 pints' of blood a week taken.over time more was learnt about the condition so sensible eating an no alcohol was put into practice and now i haven't blood taken for 5 years so its not all doom and gloom i get tested every 6 months so far so good .hope this helps,good luck

[terrence]

Your welcome.feel free to ask anything your not sure about,probably more clued up on it than your GP ,certainly am mine

[terrence]

Hi noelgion ,look on the positive side,at least you know you have it and can do something about it,far better than not knowing and later having condition's that could well be irreversible.If this is the only health problem i have to deal with in my lifetime i will be happy with that.You can and I am sure you will lead a normal life with it.don't let it worry you or your family,its no big deal,just a bit of a nuisance

[terrence]

Yes i know what your going through but once your in the system you will soon get sorted.My children are all clear at the moment,all girls below the age of 25.Have only had one girl in the family diagnosed,(my niece)and we do have a lot of girls in the immediate family,very rare in females