Thalassemia: Symptoms and Causes

Verified By Apollo Hospitals October 1, 2024

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What is Thalassemia ? ( Definition, Symptoms, Treatment Process )

Thalassemia is basically an inherited blood disorder. People suffering with thalassemia have abnormal levels of haemoglobin. Thalassemia contributes to excessive destruction of RBCs or red blood cells. This in turn leads to anaemia, a condition where the body does not have required amounts of red blood cells.
It is a genetic blood disease and children inherit the disorder if one or both the parents carry the disease causing gene. A child’s risk of developing the disease is much higher if both parents have thalassemia. Though the symptoms of thalassemia are not visible, there are some prescribed medical tests to identify the disease. A general physician may also be able to tell you about your condition but it is important to see a hemato oncologist, stem cell transplant surgeon or medical oncologist for proper diagnosis.
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Thalassemia Symptoms

Fussiness
Frequent infections
Paleness
Poor appetite
Jaundice
Enlarged organs

It is important that people are aware of the symptoms of the disease so they can be alert and consult a doctor before late.

Thalassemia Treatment in India

The disease is diagnosed after a blood test and the treatment depends on the severity of the disease. The doctor will prescribe the best treatment that works best for the particular case. The most common and effective treatments include:

Blood transfusions
Bone marrow transplant
Medications
Surgery

The World Health Organization has declared 8th May as the World Thalassemia Day. The day is dedicated to build and raise awareness of the disease.
Statistics suggest that in India thalassaemia affects more than 1, 00,000 people and around 8,000 children are born with the disease every year. However, there is good chance that the cases are more and may not be reported. Thalassemia is a most common disease in Asia, Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean countries. World Thalassemia Day is observed to spread awareness about the disease and educate people on how to avoid it. Different organizations come together on the day to discuss about the disease, ways to prevent it and they also educate others about the disease.
Several NGOs come together and organize blood donation camps that help hundreds of thousands of people to cope up with the disease. This year, celebrate World Thalassemia Day and encourage people in coping up with the disease.
The blood and bone marrow transplantation center at Apollo has performed over 700 transplants with an excellent success rate. Apollo has not just a highly qualified BMT team, but also very stringent infection control norms which are critical for BMT patients. Consult expert doctors now thru Ask Apollo and get the best diagnosis and treatment.