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*R E W A R D*

Have you ever seen the following? :

· Invisible illness?

· Invisible disease?

( …..‘Ask a silly question = ‘get a silly answer….. )

It sounds rather like the foot and mouth disease, which was a great surprise to a large number of us; we are all human – we cannot know everything! Many of us may not ever or will ever see any foot and mouth disease situations.

IF this was of more knowledge to the general public they may think :

· The money that could have been saved?

· The deaths of so many.

· The despair to numerous of people in many ways.

Now what would you do if you became aware of such a thing as an

invisible illness or invisible disease……. in

H U M A N S ?

That of course would mean in:

· Men …… .

· Women … … . .

· Aunties, Uncles, Children, Cousins, any BLOOD relations?

Ahh! “well; WHY didn’t you say that before?.”

( Have you ever heard, or even said that? )

There is an invisible illness / invisible “disease” that exists in HUMANS … but so very little is said OR known about it to the public!

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE NOT EVEN AWARE !!

L YOU could have it …..does your G.P. know?

??????????????????????????????? ? ???????

HAEMOCHROMATOSIS

( Pronounced: HAE – MO – CHRO – MAT – OSIS )

( Spelt: Hemochromatosis in a % of other countries )

This is a DISEASE – and often a GENETIC disease.

It comes from having TOO MUCH IRON ... in our body

‘Normal’ blood test requested by your GP does NOT give the readings out of your iron - IRON overload.

The simple symptoms are too obvious... to think that it could have ‘any connection with such a thing as my’ IRON level!

How you can feel = just some symptoms:

· You feel over tired, weak, lethargic, - “no energy today

( ‘Must be the weather, last nights food etc feeling )

· Mood changes, feeling depressed, loosing your memory

( That is not unusual in people today… you think. )

· Pains in your abdomen or stomach ( bowels or tummy)

( Just something you did not digest… ‘not the first time.)

· Pains in your joints / fingers – particularly the first two.

( That’s only the heavy item I handled the other day )

· Loss of interest in sex. Impotence/scanty menstruation.

( Well that happens to all when you get older, ‘not just me )

· Arthritis? General pain & discomfort in ankles, knees.

( First / slight sings of ageing? Better named. “Maturing”)

· Diabetes – Type TWO

(I thought there was only one type. I would know about that )

· Bronze colour skin all over. Permanent tan.

( That’s why many said: “ You do look well! - Been away?” )

· Heart muscle disease – Cardiomyopathy and Lungs

( ‘Had at times of being out of breath… I thought that’s OK.)

Generally…as the iron builds up ...the patient goes down !

Coping their best through the day; as if an iron ball and chain had been attached to them. Slowing their everyday physical & mental approach to many things in general. Some people get more withdrawn / not wishing to socialise as they normally would do.

Everything is an effort. ~-~~ Life becomes a d r a g. ~-~~ LLL

Very often we are going the wrong way with things. Due to feeling anemic, tired, rundown we may start by taking extra vitamins to ‘pick us up’ and give us more energy.

Little do we know….. We could not do worse in many cases!

* EURO law including Britain threatens a ban on vitamin supplements... *

Vit. C is certainly not recommended. As for taking more IRON, it is like putting fuel on a fire…. to put the fire out!

... . .

Doctors around the U.K. ( plus other parts of the world ) are finding more and more people who are being diagnosed …. as being carriers or suffering from the disease Haemochromatosis .

This is why this message you read now – at this very time - concerns yourself to make you Aware of the disease; and you possibly asking your own doctor if you need a blood test ?

Science is moving on at such a pace nowadays many doctors cannot keep up with all that is going on. We do have one thing in common…you and doctors of any level are also human beings!

Help them 2 help U

If you suffer from the disease through inheritance, itself it is proof that BOTH your mother & farther must have been “carries” of the disease. Also there is a strong chance that if you have any brothers or sisters; they also may be a “carrier” of the disease.

Let me explain:

Children born with parents who both carry the disease ends up with :

25% Chance of NOT carrying the disease on. *

50% Chance of carrying the disease - laying dormant *

25% Chance of suffering from Haemochromatosis itself.

* Like all medical situations problems could arise from this.

If one one of your parents suffered from the disease itself, and the other parent a carrier, this increases the rate of their children being born with the genetic disease and suffering from Haemochromatosis.

The * REWARD * you personally would receive is by saving your own life!! Saving a lot of ’wasted’ trauma, time and expense if only you were Aware of the situation before hand… and had it attended to.

An organization in the UK is:

The Haemochromatosis Society

Holly House

Hadley Green

Barnet

HERTS, EN5 5PR

Tel / Fax: 020-8449-1363 ( Dial code from abroad: + 44 (0) 20-8449-1363 ) See below for more details.

………………………………………………….

( HAS you got it ? )

Haemochromatosis Awareness Society

www.has-ironoverload.co.uk

Please - pass this website address onto as many as you can....

It is NOT a computer bug . . but could be a users killer!

It will, in time, affect ALL - those who are employees as well as employers themselves.

Staff will require time off from work for therapeutic venesection treatment. (Blood withdrawal)

Insurance companies are reluctant to accept those with this disease for life insurance as well as mortgage insurance. It is a question many will start to ask . . . will you know what to say?

A bill for the insurance matters is already in review in our UK law.

Acknowledgements:

To Interior & Facility Contacts Ltd ( www.Interior-facility.com ) for the financial savings brought about for use of equipment etc to issue details for the public to which “ HAS made things more easy ”……. to help others.

Published by:

Cheryl Jasper. Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 2DE, UK

Haemochromatosis

( HE – MOE – CROW – MOE – TOE - SIS )

(Spelt Hemochromatosis in some other countries)

What is Haemochromatosis?

Haemochromatosis is a disease caused by excess iron in the body. Iron is needed in the diet to maintain good health, particularly for making red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. These red blood cells contain large amounts of iron. Lack of iron can cause anaemia but excessive iron is toxic. The body has few ways of disposing of unwanted iron, so it builds up in tissues causing damage and disease.

What causes Haemochromatosis?

Iron overload may be caused by increased absorption of iron from the intestine even when the body does not require it. This is called primary iron overload. This is usually caused by an inherited abnormality known as Hereditary Haemochromatosis.

Are there any other causes?

This article provides details on Hereditary Haemochromatosis but excess body iron may also be caused by large numbers of abnormal red blood cells being destroyed and releasing their iron. This is known as secondary iron overload and it may also be inherited. Causes of this condition include blood disorders such as thalassaemia major and haemolytic anemia. Also alcohol consumption and drugs can form this disease.

Why or how we get Haemochromatosis?

Primary Haemochromatosis is an inherited disease. It is thought to be mainly caused by a mutation of a gene called HFE, which probably allows excess iron to be absorbed from the diet. This mutation is known as C282Y and to develop Haemochromatosis you usually need two genes (one from each parent) to be C282Y. However, not everyone with the mutation may develop the disease and it may occur if only one C282Y gene is present. Confusingly another mutation labeled H63D elsewhere on the HFE gene may occur alone or with C282Y and also influence iron levels.

Who is at risk?

Haemochromatosis is commoner in Caucasian or white populations, with about 1 in 200 to 1 in 300 affected. About half that number are affected in black populations. It has been assessed that this disease possibly originated from Wales / UK

Men were thought to more likely to have Hereditary Haemochromatosis and suffer from it at an earlier age, as women regularly lose iron in menstruation or use stores in pregnancy. However over the passage of time more women are being diagnosed. The age rate of being diagnosed as having the disease was in the region of late 40-50 years but now dropping with more research. We are down to 18-20 year of age being diagnosed, although they were BORN with it. This could continue; more research has more to revile.

How does the disease develop?

The onset of Hereditary Haemochromatosis usually occurs between 30 and 60 as the build up of iron takes years. However a rapid form of the disease does affect children. If left untreated excess iron builds up in the organs especially the liver, heart and pancreas. This may cause heart or liver failure, which can be fatal.

What are the symptoms of Haemochromatosis?

More and more people are being diagnosed with Hereditary Haemochromatosis without showing any symptoms. Symptoms can be difficult to spot, as they are often mild initially, with many potential causes. Fatigue and lethargy are common, and joint pain or arthritis may occur. Sexual problems, particularly impotence in men or loss of menstruation in women, may be an important early signs.

As the iron overload increases, sufferers may experience the following diseases:

Liver Disease:

The liver is the main sites of excessive iron build up. The disease causes scarring or liver fibrosis leading to cirrhosis Symptoms include abdominal pain, jaundice, swelling of the ankles or abdomen and enlargement of the liver or spleen. In severe cases bleeding from the gut or coma can occur.

Heart Disease:

Excess iron deposits may lead to one of two heart conditions. These are heart failure ( indicated by tiredness, lack of energy, shortness of breath and ankle swelling ) and abnormal heart rhythms. Patients may experience extra heartbeats known as ectopics or disorders where the heart goes either too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia).

Pancreatic Disease:

Sugar diabetes (diabetes mellitus) may be an early sign of haemochromatosis and develops in up to half of all patients with advanced disease. Diabetes is due to excess iron in the pancreas gland damaging the insulin producing cells. This complication together with the dark skin pigmentation that can occur has led to Haemochromatosis sometimes being called 'bronze diabetes'.

Other rare symptoms:

Endocrine gland problems particularly with pituitary, thyroid or sex hormones can occur, as can skin and neurological disease.

How is Haemochromatosis diagnosed?

A hospital specialist in liver or heart disease is more likely to spot Haemochromatosis, as most GPs are unfamiliar with the disease. Blood tests are carried out first but these are not always reliable. Patients with symptoms often have a liver biopsy to assess liver damage and confirm the presence of excess iron.

Screening:

Screening of relatives of patients with Hereditary Haemochromatosis is usually strongly recommended.

Good advice:

· Limit the amount of iron in your diet.

· Eating red or organ meats (such as liver) is not recommended.

· Iron supplements should also be avoided, including iron combined with other multivitamins.

· Vitamin C increases iron absorption from the gut and intake should also be limited.

· Avoid excess alcohol as this may worsen liver disease

· No Smoking

· Avoid eating certain raw shellfish such as oysters. ( The question of having any connections with GABA – which was discovered in shellfish - is still under world wide review and therefore unanswered. CJ/HAS 2001)

· Sugar and salt are best avoided.

· Grapefruit juice can cause serious and dangerous side effects, including fatalities, when taking certain medications. Something in the fruit causes drug potency to be increased up to 12 fold.

What treatment is available?

The main treatment for Haemochromatosis is regular bloodletting known as therapeutic venesection. One unit of blood (approximately 500mls/1.00 pint) is taken at a time in a similar way to blood donation but much more frequently. Initially blood and the iron in the red blood cells may be removed weekly until body iron stores return to normal. This may take up to 2 years to complete on weekly withdrawals. However therapeutic venesection treatment (one unit of blood ) can be made twice a week initially. Treatment weaned and spaced out in the region of 2-4 times a year may well be life-long.

Future prospects

Your prospects largely depend the stage at which the disease was diagnosed. Symptoms of tiredness and general weakness often improve, but joint problems may not. Abdominal pain and liver enlargement can also lessen or disappear, and heart function may also improve with treatment. However, liver cirrhosis is irreversible and a liver transplant may be required if severe. Patients with liver disease are also usually monitored for liver cancer, which can be a long-term complication.

Latest reports . . .

· Reports from research in Australia in 2001 that there also connections with the bowls. This may come in review with all those who suffer from IBS ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome )

· Connections with certain fields of Epilepsy are under review in the USA.

Iron tests are NOT taken with a ‘normal’ blood tests requested by doctors. This will now be put to the medical board for review for epileptics to be monitored periodically for their iron level when blood tests are done.

Last update: May 2002

If you are concerned about this in any way have a look at website pages of organizations that will give you further information.

Other word wide website address are of great interest:

The following are just some Website numbers that are widespread round the world that may be of interest and further information to assist you.