What is Therapeutic Phlebotomy Treatment?
Therapeutic phlebotomy is a type of treatment for people who have too much iron in their body. You may not think that too much iron is a bad thing, but excessive amounts can be harmful. Various conditions can cause an excess of iron, and they need to be kept under control.
Who needs a therapeutic phlebotomy?
Therapeutic phlebotomy may be indicated for hemochromatosis, polycythemia vera, porphyria cutanea tarda, and polycythemia secondary to aterio-venous fistulae, cyanotic congenital heart disease or cor pulmonale. Therapeutic phlebotomy is used to remove excess iron and maintain low normal body iron stores in patients with hemochromatosis.
What are the reasons for Therapeutic Phlebotomy?
Therapeutic phlebotomy can be a life-saving treatment for patients with too much iron in their blood. This is a condition called hemochromatosis. Your body needs a certain amount of iron. It's used to make hemoglobin, which oxygenates your cells. But, like anything else, there can be too much of a 'good thing' when it comes to iron in the blood.
When you have too much iron in your blood, it can cause severe damage to your heart or liver. It can lead to diseases like diabetes or arthritis. These are sever conditions that should be looked at and treated as soon as possible.
So, how can you tell if you might have too much iron in your blood? If you get regular blood tests or yearly checkups, your doctor should be able to notice elevated iron levels and recommend treatment.
But other symptoms include things like:
- Joint pain
- Fatigue
- Abdominal Pain
- Irregular heartbeat
- Changes to skin color
As you can see, some of symptoms can be quite serious and scary. If you're experiencing any of them, it's important to get your blood tested right away. There are other conditions that therapeutic phlebotomy is used for as well.