Damage to the Eyes: One more way the Celtic Curse may harm its victims

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macular-degeneration-iron-disorderHere's some news you may not want to hear about Celtic Curse, already known for its negative impact on the heart, liver, and other organs:
"The most common--and under-diagnosed--genetic disease in humans just may be a cause of the worst form of macular degeneration."

That's according to Medical College of Georgia researchers. You can read the full story at the Medical College of Georgia website. However there could be a silver lining as a result of these new findings.

But first, more of the bad news: "[researchers] are pursuing a link between hemochromatosis, which results in iron overload, and the wet form of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older. They suspect that too much iron, known to wreak cumulative havoc on the body's organs, hastens normal aging of the eyes."

The silver lining? This could bring a whole new branch of medicine--eye care--into the movement backing more, better hemochromatosis screening. The full article is well worth reading and you can find it here.

* Note added 7/8/2010: "Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition that affects older people. It damages the center of the retina, or macula, and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field. There are two forms of AMD, a wet form and a dry form. About 8 million people in the U.S. suffer from this condition, and nearly 2 million of them already have significant loss of vision." [From WebMD]

Comments

  1. Michael BrownMarch 30, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    This is a great site. I would like to be more involved. I belong to theDaily Strength Hemochromatosis Support Group that has given me so much good info. Is there a HH month ? Are there any more conferences around the N. C. Va. areas ? What can I do to help? God Bless, Mike

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carmel GoughAugust 21, 2015 at 9:54 AM

    Hello Michael ,
    I found that bit of information very interesting. In two thousand and nine. I was diagnosed with haemachromatosis my federation count was very high at that time, I hope I have spelled that right. I am Irish, and I know it's getting more common . I was always feeling very tired , drained and had various blood tests done, For a long time I did not feel well. I did not know at the time that my sister's and brothers back home were been tested for it. I am the youngest of nine. My eldest sister has it and not long ago has lost sight of one of her eyes and the hospital are concerned that she may loose sight. I have suffered with dry eyes for a long time. Also lately I have itchy skin behind my arm pits ,that is quite common with other people that has it. It's a worry but we have to keep going anyhow. Carmel

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