Hemochromatosis is a condition that occurs when your body stores an excessive amount of iron. While iron is an essential mineral that’s needed to produce haemoglobin in red blood cells, an excess of it can actually have a negative impact, affecting your liver, pancreas and heart. Venesection for Hemochromatosisis the most common treatment to deal with this condition, to prevent the build-up of iron in your body.
At Tuross Head Medical Centre, our doctors are ready and willing to work with you to better your health. For an appointment, please call 02 4413 2666
Primary Hemochromatosisis a result of genetics while Secondary Hemochromatosisoccurs as a result of another blood-related disorder like anaemia or blood transfusions. Symptoms generally appear at the age of 30. Venesections or venesection therapyis one of the main treatments for this condition.
Since hemochromatosis is a condition of the blood, it can be difficult to detect as there are no obvious symptoms. The only way to diagnose is to test the serum ferritin levels to determine how much iron is in your body’s organs. At times, your doctor may also examine the state of your liver to see if there is any damage in the organ. Thus, it is best that you have regular check-ups with your general doctor to ensure that hemochromatosis can be detected as early as possible.
Venesection for Hemochromatosis is also called phlebotomy and is essentially a procedure done to remove blood, typically about 450mL to 500mL. It is generally like the idea of donating blood since it is essentially the same procedure. Venesection therapy is effective in reducing iron levels to prevent an excessive amount of iron from being stored in your body.
Since venesection is similar to blood donations, it should come with little to no side effects and generally no long-term consequences. You may feel occasional dizziness or light-headedness as your body adjusts to having less blood, so if you experience this, you can inform our doctors or nurses to get proper assistance. You may also notice some bruising at the site of injection, but this is expected to go away after a few days.
To book an appointment with one of our experienced doctors here at Tuross Head Medical Centre, call 0244765588
Tuross Head Medical Center