Hemochromatosis | Iron Overload | MedlinePlus

Hemochromatosis | Iron Overload | MedlinePlus

Hemochromatosis

Also called: Iron overload disease

New on the MedlinePlus Hemochromatosis page:

Ferritin Blood Test

05/01/2018 03:50 PM EDT

Source: National Library of Medicine - 

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

• Ferritin blood test
• Hemochromatosis
• Serum iron test
• Synovial biopsy

Related Health Topics

• Iron

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Hemochromatosis is theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

Summary

Hemochromatosis is a disease in which too much iron builds up in your body. Your body needs iron but too much of it is toxic. If you have hemochromatosis, you absorb more iron than you need. Your body has no natural way to get rid of the extra iron. It stores it in body tissues, especially the liver, heart, and pancreas. The extra iron can damage your organs. Without treatment, it can cause your organs to fail.

There are two types of hemochromatosis. Primary hemochromatosis is an inherited disease. Secondary hemochromatosis is usually the result of something else, such as anemia, thalassemia, liver disease, or blood transfusions.

Many symptoms of hemochromatosis are similar to those of other diseases. Not everyone has symptoms. If you do, you may have joint pain, fatigue, general weakness, weight loss, and stomach pain.

Your doctor will diagnose hemochromatosis based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and the results from tests and procedures. Treatments include removing blood (and iron) from your body, medicines, and changes in your diet.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• Hemochromatosis (American Liver Foundation)
• Hemochromatosis  (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Hemochromatosis  (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Hereditary Hemochromatosis (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Ferritin Blood Test  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Iron Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Liver Function Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• TIBC, UIBC and Transferrin (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Treatments and Therapies

• Iron Chelation (Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation)

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: hereditary hemochromatosis  (National Library of Medicine)
• Learning about Hereditary Hemochromatosis  (National Human Genome Research Institute)

Videos and Tutorials

• What Is Hemochromatosis? (Dolan DNA Learning Center)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemochromatosis  (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Common founder effects of hereditary hemochromatosis, Wilson´s disease, the long... 
• Article: Genetic hemochromatosis: Pathophysiology, diagnostic and therapeutic management. 
• Article: The mechanisms of systemic iron homeostasis and etiology, diagnosis, and... 
• Hemochromatosis -- see more articles 

Find an Expert

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 

Children

• Hereditary Hemochromatosis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Ferritin blood test (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Hemochromatosis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Hemochromatosis  (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Serum iron test (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish