What is Thalasemia? I have it, and get conflicting info on it?!
Question: I know it is a blood disorder that effects my body absorbing iron. And I found out that the only people that have it are From Northern Africa. (Dang, Slave trade must have raided my village in Timbuktu)
Answers: I know it is a blood disorder that effects my body absorbing iron. And I found out that the only people that have it are From Northern Africa. (Dang, Slave trade must have raided my village in Timbuktu)
Thalassemia is actually a group of inherited diseases of the blood that affect a person's ability to produce hemoglobin, resulting in anemia. Thalassemia occurs most frequently in people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Southern Asian and African Ancestry.
The two main types of thalassemia are called "alpha" and "beta," depending on which part of an oxygen-carrying protein in the red blood cells is lacking. Both types of thalassemia are inherited in the same manner. The disease is passed to children by parents who carry the mutated thalassemia gene. A child who inherits one mutated gene is a carrier, which is sometimes called "thalassemia trait." Most carriers lead completely normal, healthy lives.
A child who inherits two thalassemia trait genes - one from each parent - will have the disease. A child of two carriers has a 25 percent chance of receiving two trait genes and developing the disease, and a 50 percent chance of being a thalassemia trait carrier.
Most individuals with alpha thalassemia have milder forms of the disease, with varying degrees of anemia. The most severe form of alpha thalassemia, which affects mainly individuals of Southeast Asian, Chinese and Filipino ancestry, results in fetal or newborn death.
A child who inherits two copies of the mutated gene for beta thalassemia will have beta thalassemia disease. The child can have a mild form of the disease, known as thalassemia intermedia, which causes milder anemia that rarely requires transfusions.
The more severe form of the disease is thalassemia major, also called Cooley's Anemia. It is a serious disease that requires regular blood transfusions and extensive medical care.
Those with thalassemia major usually show symptoms within the first two years of life. They grow slowly and often develop jaundice. Without treatment, the spleen, liver and heart soon become greatly enlarged. Bones become thin and brittle. Heart failure and infection are the leading causes of death among children with untreated thalassemia major.
The use of frequent blood transfusions and antibiotics has improved the outlook for children with thalassemia major. Drugs known as "iron chelators" can help rid the body of excess iron, preventing or delaying problems related to iron overload.
Thalassemia has been cured using bone marrow transplants. However, this treatment is possible only for a small minority of patients who have a suitable bone marrow donor.
Scientists are working to develop a gene therapy that may offer a cure for thalassemia. Such a treatment might involve inserting a normal beta globin gene (the gene that is abnormal in this disease) into the patient's stem cells, the immature bone marrow cells that are the precursors of all other cells in the blood.
Another form of gene therapy could involve using drugs or other methods to reactivate the patient's genes that produce fetal hemoglobin - the form of hemoglobin found in fetuses and newborns. Scientists hope that spurring production of fetal hemoglobin will compensate for the patient's deficiency of adult hemoglobin.
Blood tests and family genetic studies can show whether an individual has thalassemia or is a carrier. If both parents are carriers, they may want to consult with a genetic counselor.
Also, found another great site for more info & additional treatment options:
http://www.thalassemia.com/
Thalassemia is 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.
I have enclosed that link to the thalassemia website to help you better understand your condition.
You probably have the 'Trait' or..Thallesemia Minor. You may not have any symptoms at all, but don't have children with another "Trait'..They could produce a Thal. Major...a bad disease.
It is an inherited blood disorder that inhibits the production of Hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the substance in the blood which carries oxygen to all the cells and tissues. It's not so much a problem with absorbing Iron... its that your body wont produce the Hemoglobin (you are on the right track, because iron helps to make heme) . The condition often results in Anemia, which can make you fatigued, tired, ect.
There's several types of this disorder... one is usually seen in people of Mediterranen descent... the other is seen in Asian, Phillipeans, ect, but can be found in people all over the world, including African descent.
Check out this link, it's very informative.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/thala...