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Hemochromatosis (too much iron): the signs, the tests, treatment, and your family
For anyone whose iron or ferritin test came back high, who feels tired with aching joints and has been told to check their iron, whose parent, brother, sister or child has hemochromatosis, who gets regular blood transfusions, or who has been told they will have blood drawn on a schedule; and for the people who love them. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says hemochromatosis is a disorder in which extra iron builds up in the body to harmful levels, that it often runs in families, that many people have no symptoms for years, and that treatment, most often by drawing blood on a regular schedule, can improve symptoms and prevent complications. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs, and when to get help; the three types, who is more likely, and what it can lead to; the history, blood tests, gene tests and a liver biopsy; phlebotomy and the other treatments; and food, supplements, alcohol and checking your family. It builds the words to say to a doctor, and prints a card for your blood draws.
Right now
- Chest pain, severe trouble breathing, vomiting blood, confusion or being very hard to wake, or fainting? Call 911 (ours). Do not drive yourself.
- A parent, brother, sister or child has hemochromatosis? NIDDK says you should be checked too. Ask your doctor about testing you and your family.
- Thinking of taking an iron or vitamin C supplement? NIDDK says your doctor may tell you to avoid both. Ask first.
- It is all too much, or you are thinking of ending your life? Call or text 988, any hour (ours).
More help
- The liver, on this site: Cirrhosis · Hepatitis · Fatty liver disease · An upset stomach: find the right page.
- What it can lead to, as NIDDK names it: Diabetes · Arthritis · Heart failure.
- Transfusions and iron: Anemia · Sickle cell disease.
- Day to day: My medicines list · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · When a medical bill is too much.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 17, 2026 on NIDDK’s Hemochromatosis pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition, all last reviewed in January 2020. NIDDK has no Spanish version of these pages; our Spanish page is our own translation. NIDDK names the kinds of treatment (phlebotomy, chelating agents, exchange transfusions, IV immunoglobulin) but no medicine by name, and neither do we. Ours: 911 for chest pain, severe trouble breathing, vomiting blood, confusion or being very hard to wake, or fainting; seeing a doctor for signs that do not go away; asking before any supplement; keeping a copy of your results; keeping each phlebotomy appointment; the iron card; 988 when it is too much; health centers when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: medicine names, doses, target numbers, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.