San Bartolomé de Tirajana will illuminate the roundabouts on Avenida Alejandro del Castillo in red this Sunday to raise awareness among residents about hemochromatosis.
Iron overload in the body can seriously damage vital organs such as the liver, spleen, heart, and brain.
The Health Department of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council will once again illuminate the roundabouts of Avenida Alejandro del Castillo in San Fernando de Maspalomas in red this Sunday to support the citizen awareness campaign promoted nationally by the Spanish Association of Hemochromatosis (AEH), the iron deficiency disease.
It is an easily treatable disease that, if not detected early, can cause irreversible damage to vital organs such as the liver, spleen, heart, and even the brain.
The Spanish Association of Hypertension (AEH), active since May 1999, explains that this condition, caused by iron overload in the body, affects one in every thousand people, specifically around 45.000 Spaniards. However, it is an underdiagnosed disease, and very few of those affected are aware that they face a serious health risk.
Public awareness of the condition is low because its symptoms, which include fatigue, depression, and joint pain, are often mistaken for the symptoms of other diseases.
Hemochromatosis was discovered by Armand Trousseau in 1865. It describes a group of pathologies caused by an excess of iron in the body of hereditary-genetic or anemic-chronic origin and usually affects men over 50 years of age, although it also affects young women.
Mayor Marco Aurelio Pérez is urging residents of the municipality to collaborate in raising awareness and promoting this disease. The initiative could be strengthened by sharing photos of roundabouts illuminated in red on social media with the slogan 'Measure your iron levels'.
