Early symptoms of haemochromatosis
The commonest early symptoms of haemochromatosis are:
- feeling very tired (fatigue)
- arthritic pains in your joints, most often in the ankles, hips, or wrists and hands.
Joint pain in haemochromatosis is similar to osteoarthritis in the pain it causes and how it affects your joints. But it usually starts at a younger age than you’d expect with arthritis.
At least 8 in 10 people with haemochromatosis have one or both of these symptoms. They can both start quite early on, sometimes years before any other symptoms or signs develop.
Later signs of haemochromatosis
As haemochromatosis progresses, a very small number of people may develop a change in the appearance of their skin. This is actually very rare, but something that people with haemochromatosis often worry about. Iron build-up can cause the skin to look bronzed or grey. When it does happen, it’s most often on the face, hands, forearms or lower legs.
The extra iron can affect how your hormones work (the endocrine system). This can cause different symptoms in men and women. Men might have problems getting an erection (impotence). And women might stop having periods earlier than at menopause.
Published: September 2025
Review date: September 2028
Clinical reviewers: Jeremy Shearman, Consultant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist, South Warwickshire University Foundation Trust. Sister Kim Hicks, Medical Day Unit Haemochromatosis Nurse, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske. Dr Indra van Mourik, Consultant Paediatric Hepatologist (retired).
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