Hemochromatosis

July 16, 2026 | Your body needs iron to stay healthy, make red blood cells, build muscle and heart cells, and do the daily tasks that your body and internal organs need to do. It is essential for producing cellular energy, supporting a healthy immune system, and aiding hormone synthesis. It’s also vital for proper neurological growth. However, too much iron is harmful. Hemochromatosis is a disorder in which extra iron builds up in the body to harmful levels. The human body typically controls the amount of iron that is absorbed from the diet, increasing the amount when iron is needed and decreasing the amount when iron levels in the body are too high. In hemochromatosis, the body absorbs too much iron from the diet each day. Without treatment, hemochromatosis can cause iron overload, a buildup of iron that can damage many parts of the body, including the liver, heart, pancreas, endocrine glands, and joints.

July 16, 2026 | The symptoms of hemochromatosis happen when iron builds up to levels that start to affect your organs. The condition is usually present at birth but it takes a long time for iron to build up. Most people don’t develop symptoms until their 40s or 50s. If you have a milder form of iron overload, you might not ever notice it. Or symptoms might appear much later in life. They may look like normal signs of aging and include weakness, joint and belly pain. Deposits of iron in skin cells can make the skin appear bronze or gray in color. The symptoms can vary based on the patient’s sex. Men typically see a loss of sex drive and impotence as a result of iron overload while women may miss menstrual periods. Also, the symptoms usually appear later in life with women. This may happen because iron is lost through menstruation and pregnancy, so less iron is stored in the body. After menopause or hysterectomy, this changes.

July 16, 2026 | Hemochromatosis is a genetic condition that triggers the intestines to absorb too much iron from food. The excess iron is stored in the organs, especially the liver, heart and pancreas. Too much iron can damage the organs and lead to life-threatening conditions, such as liver disease, heart conditions and diabetes. Families of Northern European descent have a higher genetic risk of hereditary hemochromatosis when both parents carry the gene change, also called a gene mutation. Only a few people who have the gene mutation ever develop serious complications. Secondary hemochromatosis is not a hereditary condition. It can be caused by another condition that causes the intestines to absorb too much iron, such as liver disease or too much alcohol consumption. Or it can happen when you get too much iron, such as from too many blood transfusions due to anemia or sickle cell disease.

July 16, 2026 | Hemochromatosis can be difficult to diagnose because some of its early symptoms such as stiff joints and fatigue are commonly caused by other conditions. Many people with the disease don’t have any symptoms other than high levels of iron in their blood. Hemochromatosis may be identified because of irregular blood test results after testing is done for other reasons. If a physician suspects the patient may have an iron overload, they may order a serum transferrin saturation test, which measures the amount of iron bound to the protein transferrin that carries iron in the blood. If the transferrin saturation value is considered too high, a serum ferritin test that measures the amount of iron stored in the liver may be ordered. These blood tests for iron may be done after fasting. Elevations in one or all of these tests can be found in other conditions so you may need to have the tests repeated for the most accurate results.

July 16, 2026 | Treatment for hemochromatosis includes several methods to help reduce iron levels in your body. These treatments can help prevent or delay further damage to your organs. Therapeutic phlebotomy is a procedure in which a phlebotomist uses a needle to remove some of your blood. Red blood cells contain much of your body’s iron so removing them reduces your iron levels. You may need to have blood drawn as often as once a week to start and then you may need it drawn every few months. Iron chelation therapy relies on a prescription medication to remove extra iron from your body. You can take it by mouth at home or your doctor may give it to you as an injection. You may need to stay away from foods high in iron or high in vitamin C. Limiting how much alcohol you drink is also important to protect your liver. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain dietary supplements like iron and vitamin C.