Hereditary Hemochromatosis (Charles & Susannah Cagle Family line) Date: 9/14/2003 10:15:23 AM Pacific Standard Time From: Njbalmer To: [email protected] Hi Everyone Charles Cagle February 11, 1780 NC to November 04, 1843 TN and Susannah Cagle 1781 NC to 1851 Warren County, TN. Children: Elizabeth Cagle Moffett, Margaret Cagle Russell, Rebecca Cagle Carmack, Mary Elizabeth Jane "Eliza" Cagle Hill, Littleton Young Cagle, David Benjamin Cagle, Henry Edward Cagle. (the one's in the bold have family members who have Hemochromatosis. David Benjamin & Henry Edward Cagle have the most family members with this. There is also one other Cagle family group that has this in it but we do not have this one connected as of yet. Just thought I would right to tell you two more of my family with the gene for Hemochromatosis. One more daughter and my grand daughter have it. This makes every one of my 4 daughters have this and only 6 out of 11 of my grandchildren have been tested and 2 have it so far. HEREDITARY HEMOCHROMATOSIS Hereditary Hemochromatosis,[HH] is a genetic condition of iron overload affecting approximately 1 out of 200-300 people, with 1 in 8-10 people being carriers. It is 100% fatal if not diagnosed early & treated aggressively, yet with early diagnosis & treatment, one can expect a normal life span. Disclaimer: I am NOT a physician. I am a registered nurse, and a wife and a mother, with a special interest in HH, due to the fact that my family has been diagnosed with it. Therefore; while I have spent many hours researching information on HH, please realize that the advice & links presented here should be discussed with your family physician! I applaud the many doctors who are willing to maintain an open & communicative relationship with their patients, in order to develop the best healthcare plan possible! Cindy Munn RN In this table you will find many of the organs/systems that may be affected by Hereditary Hemochromatosis, as well as the symptoms or problems that may be associated with HH. These are resources, urls, articles, etc. which I have located in my research on HH. I have attempted to somewhat "categorize" them & place them under their corresponding symptoms/problems in this table. If you click on these sections, [they should be highlighted in orange] it will take you to resources that I have found which are related to that particular topic.If anyone finds any missing links, or knows of a resource which I might want to add to my list, please let me know! HEART Chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, arrythmias [irregular heartbeats] rapid pulse, cardiomegaly, congestive heart failure [CHF] heart attack < 50 yrs. old LIVER Cirrhosis, [even if you are not a drinker!] liver cancer, hepatoma, elevated liver enzymes, liver failure, abdominal pain or tenderness, especially in the right side. ENDOCRINE specific to the PANCREAS Cancer of the pancreas, insulin resistance, diabetes, "bronze diabetes" ENDOCRINE specific to the REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM Hypogonadism, decreased libido, impotence, irregular menses, early menopause, infertility, sterility ENDOCRINE specific to THYROID &/or PITUITARY Hypothyroidism, always feeling cold, hair loss or early graying, fatigue Psychological disorders, depression, confusion, memory loss JOINTS Arthritis & pain in the joints, often seen in the knees, hips & the first 2 fingers, joint replacements, CPPD, psuedogout, RA IMMUNE SYSTEM Frequent infections, flus, colds, weakened immune system. Info. on the Vibrio vulnificus virus found in seafood which can be deadly to those with HH. SKIN Rusty or gray tone to the skin, golden tan color, rashes or skin changes, hair loss, porphyria cutanea tarda [PCT] In addition to all of the above, it may even be [mis]diagnosed as: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [CFS] Fibromyalgia [FM] Lupus, Leukemia Rheumatoid Arthritis[RA] DepressionClick here to read more about HH associated with fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, depression. What does iron do to the BRAIN? Alzheimers or Parkinson's, strokes, seizures Click on the individual box to see more information pertaining to these topics as associated with iron overload or HH. Are the eyes & ears affected? Other HH groups, organizations Basic stats & information Other metals, copper, etc. Blood bank information Phlebotomies, guidelines, supplies Children & HH Radiology, CT scans, MRI's, etc. CME, Medical resources, hospitals Searches on hemochromatosis Dietary considerations, alcohol Secondary iron overload DNA testing labs, HFE articles Thallassemia, Iron loading Anemia Hepatitis & Iron, NASH To screen or not? The pros & cons Lab tests, meanings, etc. TV, Magazine, Newspapers, Books Other cancers