For Kevin McGuire, red cheeks were never really a problem.
He played Santa Claus in a musical version of "Miracle on 34th Street" this year, and his rosy face, combined with his strained voice, were actually a benefit.
But CBS news reported that these symptoms, which he had just considered to be a part of his life, were signs of something much more grave.
“My skin was very red and very purple. I started getting joint pain, a lot of joint pain,” said Kevin.
He went to the doctor to see if he could find any answers. He had his blood tested, and what doctors found explained his skin, his voice, and his joint pain all together.
Doctors said that his body was in distress, and that his iron levels in his blood were so high that he was “rusting from the inside out.”
His body was producing too much iron, and he was diagnosed with hemochromatosis.
The National Institutes of Health describes hemochromatosis as a hereditary disease that causes too much iron to accumulate in the body, which could lead to iron buildup in the organs and joints if left untreated.
Hemochromatosis could be caused by other things, but it’s most commonly genetic.
The two blood tests to detect it, which one should get if they have a family history of or suspect that they have hemochromatosis, are the Transferrin saturation (TS) test, and the Serum ferritin (SF) test.
Symptoms of hemochromatosis include fatigue, weakness, weight loss, abdominal pain, and joint ache, as well as redness of the skin.
It can also decrease sex drive, cause loss of menstrual periods in women, and cause shortness of breath.
Now that he’s diagnosed, Kevin has blood drawn every week. Since he caught it early, he’s able to manage his condition well.
“I can do pretty much just about anything for a long time,” he says of his condition now.
This kind of iron buildup affects one million Americans. If left undiscovered or untreated, it could be deadly. Thankfully, this isn’t Kevin McGuire’s fate, and he can play singing Santa for as many years as he wants to.
