What is Thalassemia?

Thalassemia is a blood disorder that occurs due to mutations in the genes coding for the globin protein chains, resulting in decreased hemoglobin. The deficiency of hemoglobin causes anemia i-e a reduced amount of circulating RBCs. There are two types of thalassemia depending on the mutated globin chain.

• Alpha thalassemia
• Beta thalassemia

Cause:

Thalassemia is a congenital disease that occurs due to gene deletion or mutations. The mutated genes transfer from the parents to the children. The condition has a broad spectrum ranging from thalassemia minor to thalassemia major. The extent of the disease depends on the copies of the gene mutated. It can not be controlled or treated like the flu.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of thalassemia include:

• The slow growth of children
• Brittle bones
• Splenomegaly
• Tiredness
• Skin pallor
• Dyspnea
• Darkened urine
• Loss of appetite
• Cardiac problems

Splenomegaly refers to an enlarged spleen, which occurs due to its increased function of filtration of red blood cells.

Symptoms appear in various timelines. Sometimes after birth, sometimes a couple of years later, or sometimes the child stays asymptomatic.

Treatment and Management – The Lifestyle:

Treatment is necessary if the condition is severe and the body organs and systems are not getting the oxygen they need. There are various ways of managing thalassemia, which become part and parcel of the patient’s lifestyle. Some of them are given below:

Blood Transfusions:

As the patient’s body cannot provide the blood necessary for the oxygenation of body organs, it becomes essential to gain the blood from an exogenous source. So regular blood transfusions become a part of one’s life. How often one needs transfusion varies, and the schedule changes as the age increases.

Chelation Therapy:

Blood transfusions can cause iron overload, damaging the heart and other organs. It is essential to manage the iron amount through chelators which remove extra iron from circulation.

Supplements and Drugs:

The doctors might recommend you have folic acid supplements. The drug luspatercept-aamt has been approved by the FDA for anemia in patients with beta-thalassemia. Acquiring drugs these days has become relatively easy due to the advent of pharmaceutical courier services and other modern means.

Surgery:

Bone marrow transplant and spleen removal might be needed at some point during the management.

Thalassemia and Nutrition – What Not To Eat?

Following foods should be avoided if you have thalassemia because they precipitate the condition.

• Dates increase the iron content in the blood and are recommended in case of iron deficiency anemias. They should be avoided in thalassemia at all costs to prevent iron overload.
• Watermelon is the sweetheart of summer, but it contains high amounts of iron and vitamin C. Vitamin C in the other fruit increases iron absorption, making it more dangerous.
• Leafy green vegetables are iron-rich foods and are at the top of the list of foods to avoid if you have thalassemia.
• All types of beans like peas, chickpeas, and kidney beans have a high iron content and can cause iron overload.
• Although peanut butter does not contain high amounts of iron when it is taken with meat, the absorption of iron increases, so, better to avoid peanut butter.
• Raisins also contain high iron content.
• Red meat should be avoided because research has shown that iron is absorbed quickly in the body of a meat eater.