Celtic Curse & Iron Overload

A note from Stephen Cobb who launched the CelticCurse.org website in July of 2010 with this headline: The Work Begins Here: Teaching the world about the Celtic Curse. I began that first article with this statement: "The more people know about hemochromatosis, a genetic condition often referred to as Celtic Curse, the fewer will suffer needlessly and die tragically." That statement remains true today, more than 14 years after I wrote it. The effort to fight hereditary hemochromatosis by informing people about this surprising common genetic mutation—and the potentially fatal condition of iron overload that it can create—needs to continue in 2024.  Thankfully, over the last decade a growing number organizations and online efforts have appeared and expanded to reach more and more people. Here are just a few of them, from around the world: Hemochromatosis.org Iron Disorders Institute Haemochromatosis UK The Irish Haemochromatosis Association American Hemochromatosis Society Ca...

Not enough people know this: the most prevalent genetic killer, in America and many "Western" countries, is hereditary hemochromatosis, a condition that's remarkably cheap to treat and may do little damage if detected early enough. Unfortunately many doctors don't know enough about hemochromatosis, and as a result, hemochromatosis often goes undiagnosed, particularly in women, leading to very serious and sometimes irreversible health issues.  The links on this page provide explanations of the hemochromatosis problem, including the particular problem of "hemopause" which is when the symptoms of menopause mask those of hemochromatosis. Let's fight hemochromatosis, the most common genetic killer in the western hemisphere Hemochromatosis + Menopause = Hemopause (and women of a certain age are at risk) What Ernest Hemingway's demise tells us about hemochromatosis

Just a quick diagram to show the connection between menopause and hereditary hemochromatosis. If you enter menopause with active hemochromatosis—i.e. your body has a tendency to accumulate excessive amounts of iron—and you are not aware of this due to the natural protection offered by your periods, then your doctor may miss or dismiss the symptoms of iron overload. Untreated iron overload can cause permanent damage to your health, but if caught early it can be cheap and easy to treat. For more about hemopause, check out  hemopause.org . This diagram was created by Stephen Cobb in 2019, but you are free to reproduce it IF you provide attribution, like this: based on a diagram created by Stephen Cobb.