What are the symptoms of Hemochromatosis?
Hemochromatosis can have a variety of symptoms and symptoms may be different for men and women. Hemochromatosis can be hard to identify because early symptoms are similar to those of many other common diseases.
Although most people reach middle-age before they have symptoms of hemochromatosis, some people may have symptoms at a younger age. The symptoms depend on which organs are being affected by the iron buildup.
Early indications of hemochromatosis are often like those of other diseases and include the following symptoms:
Fatigue (feeling very tired) Weakness Weight loss Abdominal pain Joint pain
As iron builds up in the body organs, hemochromatosis may also produce the following symptoms:
Loss of menstrual periods or early menopause Loss of sex drive (libido) or impotence Loss of body hair Shortness of breath
Although not a physical symptom, another possible indication of hemochromatosis is having an elevated liver enzyme test.
As the disease progresses, hemochromatosis may cause the following more serious problems:
Arthritis Liver problems, such as cirrhosis (or scarring of the liver) and liver cancer High blood sugar and diabetes Abdominal pain that does not go away Severe fatigue (feeling extremely tired and having a lack of energy) Heart problems (such as a heart beat that is not regular) Heart failure (such as the heart not pumping blood as well as it did previously) Gray-colored or bronze-colored skin </s>