Can you tell me about Hemachromatoses?

Question

I know it's caused by two genes from parents. I know it's to much iron in the blood, and that a pint of blood a week maybe two is necessary to get rid of the iron. I know it causes damage to vital organs

Answer 1

What do diabetes, impotence, heart disease and liver cancer have in common? They can all be caused by a common, inherited disorder called hemochromatosis.
This iron overload disease affects around 1.5 million Americans, and probably accounts for 15 percent of the cases of adult onset diabetes.
The good news is that the earlier hemochromatosis is diagnosed, the easier and more successful treatment can be. A simple cheek-swab test can tell whether you carry a genetic risk for hemochromatosis.


Genetic testing for hemochromatosis looks at a gene called HFE, to see if you carry the most common gene changes related to iron overload.
Genes + Knowledge = Prevention
The good news about HFE mutations is that they do not guarantee that you will develop iron overload. In fact, knowing that you carry a gene change can help you prevent iron overload.
Hemochromatosis, or iron overload, develops after many years of absorbing too much iron. If you have an HFE mutation, the sooner you know about it, the sooner you can begin reducing the amount of iron your body takes in – and prevent or stop the build-up of excess iron.
Left untreated, however, HFE mutations can lead to iron overload and potentially fatal organ damage.
The keys to preventing hereditary hemochromatosis are: know your genetic risk, understand iron overload, and take preventive action.
There are three common changes on the HFE gene involved in hereditary hemochromatosis. They are called C282Y, H63D, and S65C.


Can genetic testing for hemochromatosis help you make better health decisions and prevent disease? Here are reasons to get tested for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH):
A family history of iron overload disease
Known cases of hereditary hemochromatosis in your family
Unexplained symptoms of iron overload
Diabetes, liver disease, or heart disease


A family history of iron overload disease:
HH is the most common genetic disorder that runs in families.
1 in 10 people in the U.S. carry a gene change related to HH.
1 in 4 people of Celtic ancestry carry a gene change related to HH.
HH can be mild or severe – even within the same family.
Known cases of hereditary hemochromatosis in your family:
Genes run in families, which means that if any blood relatives have HH, you are at increased risk of having it, too.
The likelihood that you have HH depends on how closely you are related to the person with HH.
Unexplained symptoms of iron overload:
Early symptoms of hemochromatosis are general – weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, loss of sex drive – and can be mistaken for other common problems.
Advanced symptoms mimic other adult diseases, such as diabetes, liver disease, and heart disease.
Hemochromatosis is often misdiagnosed and mistreated.
Diabetes, liver disease, or heart disease:
It is estimated that hemochromatosis accounts for 15 percent of the cases of adult-onset diabetes.
Treating iron overload that is at the root of other health problems can reverse or stop the progression of those diseases.
Untreated iron overload can result in liver disease.
HH may be the cause of liver disease if alcohol, medications and other causes have been ruled out.
15 to 20 percent of people with liver cirrhosis develop liver cancer. This is a 200-fold increased risk for liver cancer.
Knowing about HH can help family members get tested and treated early.
Knowing whether you have a genetic risk for iron overload means you can take steps to prevent or stop the symptoms of this disorder. As a result, you can live a longer, healthier life.

Answer 2

Dear, first of all it is "hemochromatosis" and not "hema..."
Secondly, here is a brief review of it; I hope it helps.
Hemachromatosis is a disorder of iron regulation – it is an inherited disease where excess "free" iron is deposited in various organs including the liver. It is 'free' because it is not bound tightly to carrier proteins which would otherwise prevent it from damaging cells.

The problem is that because of the chemical properties of iron, it cannot be broken down and eliminated from the body. Therefore this situation leads to iron overload in the body.

Many people believe that the body has a high requirement for dietary iron and think the more they eat the better their health will be. This is not so for everyone and is a very individual thing. Indeed the disease of iron overload is all too common and unfortunately remains grossly under diagnosed.

The abnormal regulation of iron absorption is believed to occur in the gut (duodenum). The excess iron accumulates over a long period of time. Early diagnosis is important as the iron excess is stored gradually over a lifetime therefore the earlier detected the less chance of development of cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The condition tends to occur more commonly in men – this is likely to be due to the fact that women have monthly blood loss due to menstruation and lower intake of iron in the diet.

It is often a silent disorder that is commonly picked up in younger persons during routine blood work investigating other symptoms. However as iron slowly accumulates over the years other complaints may arise such as osteoarthritis and digestive complaints.

Biologically iron exists in two states Ferrous or Ferric. Free iron in its ferrous state is very toxic to living creatures. The presence of this excess iron creates unstable molecules called "free radicals". It is these free radicals that damage cells and tissues which can lead to inflammation, scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), diabetes, spleen, pancreas, cardiac problems and cancerous cell changes.

An average person has around one gram of iron in their body, whereas a sufferer of Hemochromatosis can store around twenty grams, enough to set off airport metal detectors in severe cases! The reason it is often not detected until permanent damage has already occurred, is because it may not produce any early symptoms, and when it does, the symptoms may be vague and diverse and attributed to other causes. For example, when the disease is at its most treatable, sufferers are often teenagers, or in their 20’s and 30’s, and complain of fatigue, abdominal discomfort and aches and pains. These things may be mistaken for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or viral illness. If the disease progresses undiagnosed, toxic iron levels will build up in the liver, pancreas, heart, skin and joints leading to severe damage in these organs. In the late stages of untreated Haemochromatosis a sufferer has a 200- fold higher risk of liver cancer than a normal person does and the only option is a liver transplant.

Answer 3

Go to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website below

Answer 4

2

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

Called bronze diabetes because the iron destroys the pancreas the iron pigments the skin.

Answer 7

http://www.americanhs.org/