Can hemochromatosis cause gray discoloration of the face?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have grayish skin on the face, but my hemoglobin is normal. I have leucocytes at 11.1, ferritin at 402, and C-reactive protein at 13. I am on Zoloft, Risperdal, and Remeron.

Kindly give your opinion.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern. According to your statement, you have been suffering from grayish discoloration of the skin on the face. Again, according to your investment reports, your leucocyte level and CRP (C-reactive protein) level are above normal, and your ferritin level is high.

Ferritin is a blood protein that contains iron. A ferritin test helps to understand how much iron your body stores. The normal range for ferritin in the blood is 20-250 ng/mL. Many laboratories considered serum ferritin levels greater than 300 ng/mL in men to be abnormal. A large portion of the general population has a serum ferritin level between 200 and 1000 ng/mL.

Greater than normal ferritin levels can indicate your body stores too much iron, and some underlying health conditions may cause raised ferritin levels in the body, such as liver disease, alcohol, hemochromatosis, etc. Hemochromatosis is a condition that may cause liver cirrhosis, heart diseases, diabetes mellitus, and grayish discoloration of the skin on the face.

For confirming hemochromatosis, you can undergo some investigations like a transferrin saturation test, liver function tests, ultrasound of the hepatobiliary system, etc. After confirming hemochromatosis, then comes the treatment. Some treatment options are available for hemochromatosis, such as dietary changes, iron-chelating agents, venesection or phlebotomy, etc.

Again, grayish discoloration of skin in the face may result from various reasons besides hemochromatosis, like argyria or exposure to excessive amounts of silver; exogenous ochronosis or the use of skin-lightening medication like Hydroquinone, chrysiasis or the use of gold salts in the case of rheumatoid arthritis; some other medications; and many more.

So, it is very important to find out the exact causes for greyish discoloration of skin in the face first and then treat them accordingly. It will help to subside your skin discoloration.

I hope this was helpful.