Haemochromatosis is now recognised as being one
of the most common genetic disorders.
In most people, Haemochromatosis is not a fatal condition
and life expectancy is normal.
If you have Haemochromatosis, one of your gene pairs does not work properly.
Haemochromatosis cannot be cured as such, because you will
always still have the faulty gene.
This means that Haemochromatosis will only occur if both copies of the gene are abnormal.
There is now a gene test which
can help to diagnose most people who have Haemochromatosis.
Brothers, sisters and children of anyone who has Haemochromatosis should be tested for the abnormal gene.
Haemochromatosis occurs in people from all parts of the world
but is most common in people from Northern Europe.
Blood tests will
also be done for any possible complications of Haemochromatosis such as problems with the liver or diabetes.
Arthritis found only in the knuckle and
the first joint of the first two fingers is very suggestive of Haemochromatosis.
Other tests may be needed to check for complications of Haemochromatosis, such as an ultrasound scan of the heart(echocardiogram).
If Haemochromatosis is diagnosed
and treated early before any complications develop the outlook is very good with no reduction in life expectancy.
If your liver has been damaged by Haemochromatosis, or if you have liver disease from any other cause,
you should avoid alcohol altogether.
A few different genes may be involved but 9 out of 10 people with Haemochromatosis have an abnormal'HFE' gene, which is on chromosome 6.
The test to confirm the diagnosis of Haemochromatosis is the gene test for the HFE gene,
which is abnormal in 9 out of 10 people with Haemochromatosis.
They can increase the risk of kidney stones in men,
and shouldn't be taken by people with the iron storage disease Haemochromatosis, as vitamin C increases iron absorption.