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Hemochromatosis
Raising Awareness of This Genetic Disorder
By Teri Brown
, the most common symptoms of hemochromatosis are the following:
- Chronic fatigue (the most common complaint by patients)
- Cirrhosis/cancer of the liver (with or without a history of alcohol use)
- Arthritis/joint pain
- Impotence/sterility/infertility; early menopause/irregular menses
- Hair loss
- Diabetes (bronze diabetes, a darkening, graying of the skin not caused by sun exposure)
- Cancer (cancer thrives on iron)
- Abdominal pain/swelling
- Weight loss
- Frequent colds/flu/infections, compromised immune system
- Headaches
- Hypothyroidism
- Heart irregularities/heart failure/heart attack (especially in younger men)
- Hepatoma/liver cancer (the leading cause of death in HH)
- Premature death
Anyone with any combination of these symptoms or a family history of these symptoms should be tested for HH immediately. But remember two important facts:
1. There can be numerous generations of "silent carriers" of the mutation who never become ill and live to old age, thereby giving a "false security" that HH doesn't "run in the family."
2. Some patients do not have symptoms until they are end stage and their lives cannot be saved. Early detection should be achieved through knowledge of genetic risk through DNA testing and annual screening.
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