It has been often observed that the scarcity of a particular mineral in human body leads to an ailment. But sometimes the excess of a mineral can also lead to the development of an ailment. While the deficiency of iron leads to a disease called Aneamia it’s over abundance can cause a disorder named Haemochromatosis. It is seen as a genetic and hereditary ailment that makes the human body to take in a surplus amount of iron from the food.
As a matter of fact, the human body requires a fixed amount of iron to be absorbed from the food and if a person soaks in excess iron then it is stored in the several body organs. The organs that are mainly affected by the accumulation of iron are the heart, liver, and pancreas. On an average, 1 in every 400 people gets affected by the malady and it can affect people belonging to several ethnicity and race.
Causes ofHaemochromatosis
Even though the disease is caused by the mutation of genes in the human body and it passes from one generation to another, not all instances of Haemochromatosis stem from hereditary reasons. As a matter of fact, the number of male patients of the disease far outstrips their female counterparts.
This is not due to genetic vulnerability. It is because women lose iron during menstruation every month. People who have haemochromatosis can worsen their situation if they become alcoholic as alcohol increases the chances of iron absorption.
Symptoms ofHaemochromatosis
Even though the disease can be present in a victim’s body right from his birth, it is only in the matured years that the symptoms start appearing. The most prevalent symptoms of the ailment include fatigue and a sensation of tiredness, stiffness and joint pain.
The skin of the affected persons assumes a bronzed complexion. The sex life of the men affected by the disease also takes a nosedive. The victims can also suffer from loss of weight and pain in the abdominal region. The main problem with the symptoms of this disease is they often mislead the physicians to think of them as the signs of some other disease.
In the advanced stages of the disease, more severe symptoms can occur. Some of them are arthritis, diabetes, cardiac problems and severe damages to the liver. Since men affected with Haemochromatosis do not lose iron like women periodically, the iron they absorb from the food are deposited in the vital organs of the body continuously.
This results in severe damage to these organs. If the patients are not treated in time the consequences can be fatal. Liver is an organ that receives maximum damage from surplus iron accumulation and this disease can cause Cirrhosis of liver.Excess deposit of iron in the blood can result in toxicity and may even lead to coma.
When the ailment causes Cirrhosis of liver, the chances of developing liver cancer also increases. The excess iron also gets stored in the pancreas which plays a crucial role in sugar metabolism. The iron hampers the functions of the pancreas and leads to the development of diabetes. Diabetes can also cause some more disorders like blindness and renal failure.
The surplus iron can cause problems in the way the heart functions and circulates blood. This can lead to fatal consequences.
Treatment of Haemochromatosis
The disease is usually treated by diminishing the quantity of iron absorbed from a patient’s body. The patients are asked to refrain from taking alcohol and foods rich in iron. The damaged organs also need to be treated.
The cardiac problems caused by the disease are often treated with ACE inhibitor therapy and diuretics. The doctors also advise the patients to eat foods that restrict the absorption of iron such as calcium, high-tannin tea etc. However, it must be ensured that these foods are consumed simultaneously with the iron imbued foods.
