Thalassemia is an inherited genetic disorder of the blood in which the bone marrow makes less haemoglobin which is a part of red blood cells (RBC) of the body.
These low levels of hemoglobin production can make you anaemic and symptoms of paleness, fatigue, tiredness along with weakness sets in. The two main types of thalassemia are ‘alpha’ and ‘beta’. Each of these are further have three types – ‘minor’, ‘moderate’ or ‘major’.
If you are a thalassemia minor, usually no treatment is required. This isn’t life threatening. But for those who are moderate or major thalassemia patients, they need medical assistance and in severe cases blood transfusion throughout their life. Repeated blood transfusions may lead to high dosage of iron in your body, which can damage other body organs. This is life threatening and needs continuous monitoring and treatment.
