Managing

The key to managing hemochromatosis is regulating iron levels.

Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Iron Disorders Institute (IDI) National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) American Hemochromatosis Society (AHS) Email this page Print this section

Regulating iron levels requires:

• Phlebotomy at regular intervals for the life of the patient. Phlebotomy three to four times a year for men, and one or two times per year for women, is probably sufficient in people without complications who have brought their iron levels down to low normal levels.

• Monitoring of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin needs to be monitored so that anemia is avoided. People who have hemochromatosis should not take iron supplements.

• Restrictions on diet and alcohol. Patients should restrict their vitamin C and alcohol intake, as these both facilitate iron absorption. Also, they should avoid raw shellfish, as they are more susceptible to Vibrio vulnificus infection.

In addition, patients should be screened regularly for liver cancer. These screenings should include a yearly physical examination, biannual imaging of the liver, and a blood test for alpha-fetoprotein, a marker for tumors. If there is doubt about the presence of liver cancer, the definitive diagnosis is made by liver biopsy.