PHOTO: Haemochromatosis is a condition in which the body absorbs too much iron from someone’s diet which can lead to an iron overload. It is the most common genetic disorder in Australia.
If you’ve celebrated ‘a touch of the Irish’ in your blood on St Patrick’s Day, it may be worth considering whether your heritage has put you at risk of ‘the Celtic curse’ – a condition called Haemochromatosis in which the body pumps too much iron.
The condition is the most common genetic disorder in Australia – affecting about one in 200 people, with one in seven being carriers.
Put simply, people with the condition absorb too much iron from their diet. The excess iron is stored in the body and over time this leads to iron overload. An iron overload can cause organ or tissue damage and can potentially result in premature death.
While the condition can be very serious if left untreated, the good news is that treatment is simple, cheap and effective and if detected early it can be managed easily with no interruption to a normal life…