Thalassemia - symptoms, picture, treatment, cure of Thalassemia disease

Thalassemia is very common inherited disorder. Thalassemia can be defined as the chronic inflammation of the lungs caused by excessive inhalation of dust containing iron salts or particles. To survive, many people with thalassaemia need blood transfusions at regular intervals. Thalassemia is mainly caused by a malfunction of red blood cells in their ability to properly carry oxygen to the body.  Mutations in globin genes cause thalassemias.

Thalassemia Information

There are many different disorders with defective hemoglobin synthesis and, hence, many types of thalassemia. The thalassemias are classified according to which chain of the globin molecule is affected: in a thalassemia, the production of a globin is deficient, while in ß thalassemia the production of ß globin is defective. Thalassemia produces a deficiency of a or ß globin, unlike sickle-cell anemia which produces a specific mutant form of ß globin.

Thalassemia Symptoms

In thalassemia, the baby appear healthy at birth, but as time past we see these symptoms of thalassemia within the first few years of life :

• pale
• feed poorly
• jaundice

Thalassemia Treatment

Thalassemia is treated with medication and blood transfusions. Drinking tea may help to reduce iron absorption through the intestinal tract. Genetic counseling and genetic testing is recommended for families that carry a thalassemia trait.

More information on thalassemia

Beta thalassemia
Alpha Thalassemia
Thalassemia minor
Thalassemia major
Thalassemia Symptom