Hemochromatosis

Symptoms

Symptoms of hemochromatosis often don't appear until a person is 40 to 60 years old. This is because iron buildup usually develops slowly throughout a person's life.

Symptoms include:¹

• Fatigue.
• Joint pain, usually in the hands, hips, knees, and/or ankles.
• Weakness.
• Weight loss.
• Abdominal pain.
• Change in skin color.
• Decreased sexual drive, including impotence.
• Increased urination.

Without treatment, hemochromatosis will continue storing iron in the body. When iron levels are dangerously high, organ and tissue damage can result. You could develop other conditions, such as diabetes and arthritis.

Complications of advanced hemochromatosis

Liver damage is common in later stages of hemochromatosis. Types of liver damage may include:

• Liver inflammation (hepatitis).
• Cirrhosis with yellowing of the skin (jaundice).
• Liver cancer.
• Liver failure.

Serious heart problems may result from hemochromatosis, including:

• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias).
• Cardiomyopathy, a disease that affects the heart muscle.
• Heart failure.

Hypogonadism, which affects the sexual organs of men and women, is another possible complication of hemochromatosis. Symptoms may include:

• Loss of body hair (men).
• Breast enlargement (men).
• Shrinkage (atrophy) of the testicles (men).
• Decreased sexual drive (men and women).
• Erection problems (men).

Advanced hemochromatosis may also cause:

• Diabetes.
• Painful joints.
• Darkened skin color (bronze to metallic gray).
• An enlarged spleen.
• Redness of the palms.

Going without treatment for hemochromatosis can shorten your life. The major causes of hemochromatosis-related deaths are:²

• Liver failure (cirrhosis).
• Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC).
• Diabetes.
• Cardiomyopathy.

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Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH	Last Updated: April 30, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
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