Hemochromatosis ais a disease when levels iron in the body too excessive.If not treated, iron will accumulate in the body's organsand triggerserious illness, like heart failure.
Iron is an essential mineral for the body. One of its roles is to produce hemoglobin, which is a substance in red blood cells that functions to bind and carry oxygen throughout the body.
Iron is obtained by the body from the food we eat. However, in patients with hemochromatosis, iron from food will be absorbed in excess and cannot be excreted from the body.
This condition causes iron to accumulate in the liver, heart, pancreas, and joints. If the accumulation of iron occurs continuously, these organs will be damaged.
Symptoms of Hemokromatosis
Hemochromatosis often causes no symptoms. When symptoms appear, generally in the age range of 30-50 years. Only a small proportion of hemochromatosis sufferers have experienced symptoms at the age of 15-30 years.
In women, excess iron in the body can be wasted through menstrual blood, so the symptoms of this disease usually only appear after menopause.
In general, the symptoms of hemochromatosis are:
- Weak
- Joint pain
- Stomach ache
- Decreased sex drive
- Body hair loss
- Gray skin color
- Weight loss
- daze
- Heart beat
If it continues in the long term, people with hemochromatosis may experience:
- Arthritis
- Impotence
- Diabetes
- Cirrhosis
- Heart failure
When hcurrent to dokter
Patients with certain diseases that require long-term blood transfusions, such as thalassemia, need to consult a doctor about the risk of hemochromatosis as a side effect of long-term blood transfusions.
Immediately consult a doctor if symptoms of hemochromatosis appear, especially if you have family members who suffer from hemochromatosis.
If you or your partner has a family member who suffers from hemochromatosis, talk to your doctor about the possibility of developing this disease in your child. If necessary, before you plan a pregnancy. Also talk to your doctor about how to prevent it.
Causes of Hemochromatosis
The main cause of hemochromatosis is an abnormality or mutation in the gene that regulates the absorption of iron by the body. This gene mutation can be inherited from both parents, even though the parents do not show symptoms of hemochromatosis.
Hemochromatosis can also be caused by autoimmune diseases, in which iron builds up quickly in the liver, especially during fetal development. This condition can cause premature death in newborns.
In addition to heredity and autoimmune diseases, hemochromatosis can also be triggered by several other conditions, such as:
- Long-term blood transfusions, for example, thalassemia patients.
- Chronic kidney failure that is already in the dialysis stage.
- Chronic liver disease, eg hepatitis C or fatty liver.
Hemo Diagnosiskrautomatic
To determine whether a person has hemochromatosis, the doctor will first ask the symptoms experienced, and whether there is a patient's family who suffers from hemochromatosis. After that, the doctor will perform a physical examination, especially the abdominal area, to detect swelling of the liver and spleen.
If the patient is suspected of having hemochromatosis, the doctor will take a sample of the patient's blood. Through a blood test, the doctor can determine the level of iron in the blood.
If the test shows abnormal results, the doctor will perform genetic tests to check for gene mutations. To see the impact of hemochromatosis on certain organs and see the possibility of other diseases, the doctor will perform examinations:
- Liver function test
- Imaging with MRI
- Tissue sampling from the liver (liver biopsy)
In addition to examination of the patient, examination can also be carried out on other family members who may also suffer from hemochromatosis, but do not or have not experienced symptoms.
H Treatmentemokromatosis
Treatment of hemochromatosis aims to restore and maintain normal iron levels in the body, and prevent organ damage and complications due to iron buildup. Some actions taken by doctors to treat hemochromatosis are:
Throwing blood
The process of removing blood or phlebotomy done like a blood donation. How often and how much blood is removed, depends on the age of the patient and the severity of the hemochromatosis.
Some sufferers initially undergo this process once or twice a week. After the iron level in the blood returns to normal, urination is done every two or four months.
To help the healing process, patients are prohibited from consuming foods or drinks that can increase iron in the body, such as vitamin C, iron supplements, alcoholic beverages, and raw fish and shellfish.
Give omedicine
The doctor will give drugs in the form of pills or injections, to help bind and remove excess iron in the body through urine or feces. This drug is called chelation, an example is deferiprone. The drug is given if the patient has a condition that makes him unable to undergo blood disposal, for example suffering from thalassemia or heart disease.
Hemochromatosis Complications
Untreated hemochromatosis can cause iron to build up in several organs of the body. As a result, sufferers can experience a number of the following diseases:
- Reproductive problems, such as impotence in men and menstrual disorders in women.
- Damage to the pancreas, which can trigger diabetes.
- Cirrhosis or the formation of scar tissue in the liver.
- Disorders of the heart, such as arrhythmias and heart failure.