Symptoms and Types of Thalassemia: Lack of Oxygen Causes the Disease

Thalasemia generally do not have any sign and symptoms which makes to realize that they are suffering from it. It can be only analyzed by the blood test in form anemia. Symptoms of thalasemia are fatigue, pale skin, protruding abdomen, dark urine, and abnormal facial bones. The symptoms depend on the type and severity of the disease. These kinds of symptoms typically occur when oxygen is not able to pass in various parts of the body due to low hemoglobin and a shortage of red blood cells in the blood.

People with alpha thalassemia trait or beta thalassemia trait usually have no symptoms. But people with alpha or beta thalassemia trait often have mild anemia that may be found by a blood test. Severe Symptoms, in more severe types of thalassemia, such as Cooley's anemia, symptoms may include fatigue and weakness, pale skin or jaundice, protruding abdomen with enlarged spleen and liver, dark urine and abnormal facial bones and poor growth. Infants who have the most severe type of alpha thalassemia which is called hydrops fetalis generally die either before or soon after birth.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Thalassemias

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When oxygen is insufficient in the bloodstream then it causes thalassemias. The lack of oxygen occurs because the body is not able to make enough healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin. The severity of symptoms depends on the severity of the disorder. No Symptoms Carriers of Alpha thalassemia generally do not have any signs or symptoms of the disorder. The lack of alpha globin protein is so minor that the body's hemoglobin works normally. Mild Anemia People who are suffering from alpha or beta thalassemia trait can have ild anemia. But mostly people who have these types of thalassemia have no signs or symptoms to be recognized. Mild anemia can make to fee tired. It is caused by alpha thalassemia trait might be mistaken for iron-deficiency anemia. Mild to Moderate Anemia and Other Signs and Symptoms People who have beta thalassemia intermedia have mild to moderate anemia. They also may have other health problems, such as:  Slowed growth and delayed puberty. Anemia can slow down a child's growth and development. Thalassemia may cause bone marrow to expand.

Bone marrow is the spongy substance inside bones that makes blood cells. When bone marrow expands, the bones become wider than normal. They may become brittle and break easily.  An enlarged spleen. The spleen is an organ that helps your body fight infection and removes unwanted material. When a person has thalassemia, the spleen has to work very hard. As a result, the spleen becomes larger than normal. This makes anemia worse. If the spleen becomes too large, it must be removed. Severe Anemia and Other Signs and Symptoms

People who have hemoglobin H disease or beta thalassemia major (also called Cooley's anemia) have severe thalassemia. Signs and symptoms usually occur within the first 2 years of life. They may include severe anemia and other health problems, such as:

• A pale and listless appearance
• Poor appetite
• Dark urine (a sign that red blood cells are breaking down)
• Slowed growth and delayed puberty
• Jaundice (a yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes)
• An enlarged spleen, liver, or heart
• Bone problems (especially with bones in the face)

Complications of Thalassemias

Better treatments allow people who have moderate and severe thalassemias to live much longer. As a result, these people must cope with complications of these disorders that occur over time.

Heart and Liver Diseases

Regular blood transfusions are a standard treatment for thalassemias which have to be on timely basis failing to which leads to death. Transfusions can cause iron to build up in the blood. This can damage organs and tissues, especially the heart and liver. Heart disease caused by iron overload this is the main cause of death in people who have thalassemias. Heart disease includes heart failure, arrhythmias i. e. irregular heartbeats, and heart attack. Infection People who have thalassemias affected by infections which cause illness and this is the second most common cause of death. People who have had their spleens removed are at even higher risk because they no longer have this infection-fighting organ.  Mostly people suffering from thalassemias also have bone problems, including osteoporosis . In this condition bones which are weak and brittle can easily be broken even from small injury.

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