What is Thalassemia?
Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to anemia. Anemia is a disorder in which your body doesn’t have enough normal, healthy red blood cells (RBC).
This disease is inherited, meaning that at least one of your parents must be a carrier of the disease. It is caused by either a genetic mutation, or a deletion of certain key genes.
The two main forms of thalassemia are alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. In alpha thalassemia, at least one of the alpha globin genes has a mutation or abnormality. In beta thalassemia, the beta globin genes are the ones affected.
Each of these two forms of thalassemia has several distinct types. The exact form you have will affect the severity of your symptoms and your prognosis.
Interesting Facts about Thalassemia Carriers :
Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The disorder results in excessive destruction of red blood cells, which leads to anemia. Anemia is a disorder in which your body doesn’t have enough normal, healthy red blood cells (RBC).
This disease is inherited, meaning that at least one of your parents must be a carrier of the disease. It is caused by either a genetic mutation, or a deletion of certain key genes.
The two main forms of thalassemia are alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. In alpha thalassemia, at least one of the alpha globin genes has a mutation or abnormality. In beta thalassemia, the beta globin genes are the ones affected.
Each of these two forms of thalassemia has several distinct types. The exact form you have will affect the severity of your symptoms and your prognosis.
Interesting Facts about Thalassemia Carriers :
- It is a genetic disorder inherited from either or both of your parents.
- It is the commonest single gene disorder in the global population .
- In Malaysia, it is estimated that 1 in 20 people is a thalassemia carrier.
- The disorder primarily affects your red blood cells (RBC) resulting in reduced or absent production of haemoglobin –the oxygen carrying vehicle in your body resulting in a medical condition known as anaemia.
