Understanding Thalassemia:Symptoms Causes, and Treatment options

Thalassemia is an inherited disease that is passed from parents to children through genes. There is a protein in the blood called hemoglobin that is not being made as much as it should be. These proteins like hemoglobin are called red blood cells (Red). is an important part of blood cells. It also releases oxygen.

When there is not enough hemoglobin in the blood, red blood cells cannot function properly and they live for a short time. Therefore, healthy red blood cells are less in the blood.

Red blood cells deliver oxygen to every cell in the body. Cells use oxygen as food. When the body does not have healthy red blood cells, all the other cells in the body do not get oxygen, due to which a person feels weak, tired, and has trouble breathing. This is a condition called anemia. Patients with thalassemia may have mild or severe anemia. In severe anemia, body organs may be damaged and death may also occur.

Symptoms:

There are two types of thalassemia, alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia, so the symptoms of thalassemia are different depending on the type of thalassemia.

Symptoms of beta thalassemia and alpha thalassemia in infants usually appear after 6 months of age. This is because newborns have a different type of hemoglobin called fetal hemoglobin.

The symptoms are as follows

Drowsiness and fatigue

Chest pain

Fast heartbeat

Jaundice and pale skin

shortness of breath

Dizziness

Unconsciousness

Greater susceptibility to infection

The body tries to produce too much bone marrow, which can lead to the deterioration of the skeleton (Maternal Mortality Rate).

Blood transfusions can cause iron accumulation. Excess iron can damage the heart, liver and spleen.

Causes:

Hemoglobin protein carries oxygen to the cells of the body. Bone marrow uses dietary iron to make hemoglobin.

In people with thalassemia, the bone marrow cannot make healthy hemoglobin or red blood cells. Therefore, in some cases, these problems can lead to lack of oxygen, which can result in anemia and fatigue.

Patients with mild thalassemia may not need any treatment. But in severe thalassemia, regular blood transfusions will be required.

Diagnose:

Most children with moderate to severe thalassemia are diagnosed by age 2. People who have no symptoms may not notice until their child has thalassemia.

A blood test that can be used to determine if a person has thalassemia is a blood test (CBC). The CBC test measures the level of hemoglobin and the level and size of red blood cells.

Treatment:
 Treatment depends on the severity of thalassemia and the type of thalassemia.

 1. Folic acid supplementation:
 People who receive blood transfusions and chelation may also need folic acid supplements. Folic acid helps in the development of red blood cells.

 2. Blood Transfusion:
 Blood transfusions can maintain hemoglobin and red blood cell levels. Patients with major thalassemia will need blood transfusions between 8 and 12 times a year. Patients with low or minor thalassemia will need at least 8 transfusions per year during illness, stress, or infection.
 3. Surgery:
 It is also possible to treat it in the case of bone surgery.
 4. Iron Chelation:
 It involves eliminating or removing excess iron from the bloodstream. Sometimes, blood transfusions can cause iron overload. This can damage the heart and other organs.