Symptoms
What are the Symptoms?
Early diagnosis is asymptomatic. Symptoms are due to high iron
levels in the body for many years. There is not one symptom that
particularly relates to haemochromatosis but the presence of
on-going symptoms for many years, such as chronic fatigue, joint pains, or bronze colouring of the skin, haemochromatosis should be
considered.
With advanced disease, the symptoms relate to organ
damage that has occurred.
Prevention is possible, if a person is diagnosed before significant symptoms arise, organ damage and disease
symptoms are entirely preventable by maintaining iron in the normal range.
However,a person diagnosed with the condition, should notify all blood relatives so they can be tested for the HFE gene mutations and treated if necessary.
Anyone with disorders including liver disease, cardiomyopathy
(weakness of the heart wall), arthritis or impotence should be
tested for haemochromatosis.
This underlying condition
(haemochromatosis) could be causing their secondary illnesses.
Prompt treatment can reverse some organ damage and
symptoms and prevent further damage.
It is unlikely that sufferers will experience every symptom listed
but a range of them is highly suggestive of the disorder.
Symptoms include:
Weakness Lethargy Chronic fatigue Abdominal pain Arthritis; particularly common in the knuckle and first joint of the first two fingers Diabetes Liver disorders; enlarged liver, cirrhosis Sexual disorders; loss of sex drive in both male and female, impotence in men, absent or scanty menstrual periods and early menopause in women Decrease in body hair Discolouration or bronzing of the skin Cardio-myopathy; disease of the heart muscle Neurological/psychiatric disorders; impaired memory, mood swings, severe irritability, depression.
Most of these symptoms are found in other disorders as well which is another reason
for haemochromatosis not being diagnosed as frequently as it occurs.
Chronic
fatigue is probably the most common one but it may be ascribed to the after-effects
of a viral infection or to psychological causes.