Ron Roy on thu 7 nov 02
Calen knows what he is talking about - I have hemochramatsis - it means I
don't eliminate iron properly and it bulids up in my body. A simple
"feritin" blood test will tell you if you are over (or under) the limits.
In my case - I need to give up some blood every few months to keep my
feritin levels in the normal range.
Thanks Galen - always good to have accurate information on the list.
>I am new to the list, an obsessed 'hobby potter' but my day job is
>pathologist...
>I agree the bad water smell is not the iron but sulphur-containing or other
>compounds, or bacteria. It is virutally impossible for a normal person to
>get an iron overdose from drinking or smelling the water. The body has a
>mechanism to restrict intestinal absorption of iron beyond that needed for
>muscle and red blood cell production etc, although combining acidic foods or
>drink (ie. orange juice) with an iron rich meal will increase intestinal
>uptake of iron. Getting a blood transfusion is a direct input of iron to
>the body, not the same at all as dietary iron intake.
>
>One caveat to all this is that one of the most common inherited diseases in
>caucasian people of european descent is 'hereditary hemochromatosis' in
>which the body does not handle iron normally, and it can build up in organs
>and cause damage. If you are a middle aged or older adult, a blood test can
>tell you if are at risk (affected people will demonstrate an abnormality of
>the iron-carrying protein over time, before organs damage occurs). Then you
>need to get the genetic test for this disease, and restrict iron intake and
>perhaps have other treatments if you are found to have the mutations.
>Galen Schauer
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513
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