Thalassemia symptoms

What is Thalassemia? Thalassemia refers to a group of genetic blood disorders that present similar signs and symptoms. It's the most common inherited single gene disorder worldwide. People inherit the defective gene responsible for thalassemia from one or both parents. The severity of the disorder depends on the number of genes affected. People at risk for thalassemia include those with a family history of the inherited blood disorder or in an ethnic group, such as: • Italian • Greek • Middle East • African • Asian Hemoglobin and Hemoglobinopathies Thalassemia belongs to a group of several related blood diseases called hemoglobinopathies characterized by structural variations in the hemoglobin molecule. Hemoglobin is found on every red blood cell (erythrocyte) in the blood stream. In healthy people, each hemoglobin molecule has one iron (Fe) ion on each of its four heme structures. This vital compound performs several essential functions: • Binds to oxygen (O2) in the lungs • Carries O2 to all tissues and parts of the body • Releases life-sustaining O2 • Removes carbon dioxide (CO2) waste • Delivers CO2 back to the lungs for exhalation The importance of hemoglobin: In short, a person with consistently insufficient hemoglobin levels most likely cannot take in and use enough oxygen to sustain life. Microcytic Anemia Doctors refer to a person as anemic if he has deficient levels of hemoglobin in the blood. The body of a person with thalassemia makes abnormal hemoglobin, causi...

Thalassemia: A Basic Description Thalassemiais the name of a group of genetic blood disorders. To understand how thalassemia affects the human body, you must first understand a little about how blood is made. Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying component of the red blood cells. It consists of two different proteins, an alpha and a beta. If the body doesn’t produce enough of either of these two proteins, the red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen. The result is anemia that begins in early childhood and lasts throughout life. Since thalassemia is not a single disorder but a group of related disorders that affect the human body in similar ways, it is important to understand the differences between the various types of thalassemia. Alpha Thalassemia People whose hemoglobin does not produce enough alpha protein have alpha thalassemia. It is commonly found in Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, southern China, and occasionally the Mediterranean region. There are four types of alpha thalassemia that range from mild to severe in their effect on the body. Silent Carrier State. This condition generally causes no health problems because the lack of alpha protein is so small that the hemoglobin functions normally. It is called “silent carrier” because of how difficult it is to detect. Silent carrier state is “diagnosed” by deduction when an apparently normal individual has a child with hemoglobin H disease or alpha thalassemia trait. Hemoglob...