What is Thalassaemia?
Diseases Of Blood
Many diseases are caused by abnormalities in the blood. These abnormalities are categorised according to the part of the blood affected: there are diseases of the red blood cells, the white cells or coagulation diseases.
Red Blood Cells Diseases include thalassaemia. One of the most common diseases of the red blood cells is anaemia - a disease in which the body has an abnormally low number of red blood cells or low level of haemoglobin.
The common symptom of anaemia is fatigue (tiredness), because the blood fails to carry and deliver enough oxygen around the body. The most common type of anaemia is iron deficiency anaemia, where the bone marrow does not produce a sufficient number of red blood cells. Patients are often cured of this type of anaemia by simply taking iron supplements.
To know more about Thalassaemia Major
To know more about Thalassaemia Minor
Information gathered from publications by Thalassaemia International Federation, the UKTS and other Thalassaemia related sources.
Other types of anaemia , however, are more serious. In haemolytic anaemias, for example, the body destroys red blood cells at a rapid rate. In the thalassaemia major , red blood cells are destroyed almost as soon as they are produced and the bone marrow cannot produce a sufficient number to replace them. These diseases are inherited- passed from parents to their children - and are very severe. For many years, it was thought that they were untreatable and that patients would inevitably die at an early age. We now know, however, that with proper treatment, patients can lead full and fulfilling lives.
