Thalassemia

Thalassemia, is blood disorder disease that transfer through heredity, in which body makes abnormal hemoglobin (the protein in red blood). The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to anemia.

There are two types of thalassemia depends when there is a defect in a gene that helps control production of one of these proteins

•    Alfa thalassemia
•    Bela thalassemia

Symptoms:

• Bone deformities in the face
• Fatigue
• Growth failure
• Shortness of the breath
• Yellow skin ( jaundice)
• Weakness
• Protruding abdomen with enlarged spleen and liver
• Dark urine
• Severe anemia
• Organ damage

Treatment:

• Treatment for thalassemia major often involves regular blood transfusions and folate supplements.

•  If you receive blood transfusions, you should not take iron supplements. Doing so can cause a high amount of iron to build up the body, which can be harmful.

•  People who receive significant numbers of blood transfusions need a treatment called chelation therapy to remove excess iron from the body.

• Bone marrow transplant may help treat the disease in some patients, especially children