Suffering the Celtic curse

JUNE 2 marks the start of World Haemochromatosis Aware Week, a title which doesn’t exactly trip of the tongue but is hugely significant nonetheless.

Haemochromatosis is a genetically inherited condition of iron overloading. All ingested iron is stored in the body, builds up and if left can cause irreversible damage.

Haemochromatosis is predominantly found in northern Europeans and is known to be particularly prevalent amongst Celtic communities – in Ireland as many as one in 10 of the population is thought to carry the gene and it is termed ‘The Celtic Curse’.

Here in Wales and noting our Celtic connection, we are not doing so well raising awareness of this condition, which is easily treated, rarely diagnosed and research shows is much more common than is currently found.

Visit haemochromatosis.org.uk if you experience arthritis, especially in the first two finger joints only, abdominal pain, chronic fatigue, memory loss, hair loss, liver disease, cardiomyopathy, bronzing of the skin.

For information go to our website or call 07958 564576.

LISA FLUDE

Haemochromatosis Society