Too much iron in blood

 

Hello lovelies,

Wow, this site has been so helpful. I have been talking to my mother saying that I think that the health problems that my family have been plagued with could be related to thal.

She told me that my uncle recently had too much iron in his blood, the doctors did not know why  so he donated blood and that seemed to help him feel a little better.

I told him that I did not think that that is the best way to deal with that problem and that he should see a hemotologist and tell him to check him for thal.

Thanks for all your sharing, it has helped me to understand a lot.

Bloodletting is how excess iron is dealt with as long as the hemoglobin or hematocrit level is high enough. Your uncle may have hemochromotosis which is also a genetically determined disorder in which the body absorbs too much iron from food. High levels of iron are dangerous and can cause many health problems. At times hemochromotosis even co-exists with thal.

You are correct in that a hematologist can test him for hemochromotosis and determine if this is the best way to treat him. He should also be tested for thal trait, as should anyone who is related to you by blood, as it is important to know if you are a carrier so that having children with another carrier can be avoided, as that creates the possibility of producing a thal major.