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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 Some people might not suffer any problems at all. Weinberg said there's a 100-year-old retired faculty member he knows who has a very high iron load but no ill effects from it.
"Here's a person who was able to tuck away the iron without it causing destruction of the organs," Weinberg said. "And yet there are other people who can't handle it."
The best means of treating hemochromatosis is phlebotomy, Koenig said -- bloodletting, one of the most ancient, and mostly discredited, forms of medical treatment. But, in this case, the draining of blood forces the body to process its excess iron.
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"When you take blood out of the body, iron stored in body tissue is used to make new blood," Koenig said.
Some hemochromatosis sufferers can give blood as frequently as twice a week to stay healthy, very often to blood banks. "Most people only are allowed to give blood once every seven weeks," Koenig said.
Oral medications that would help the body better rid itself of iron are being tested, but, for the time being, bloodletting is the most simple and pain-free way to help sufferers lead normal lives, he said.
More information
To learn more about hemochromatosis, visit the Iron Disorders Institute.
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