What+are+the+effects+of+Thallasemia?


 * Content**s:
 * 1) Intro to Thallasemia
 * 2) Types
 * 3) Causes
 * 4) Symptoms
 * 5) __**Effects**__
 * 6) Treatments
 * 7) Personal Stories
 * 8) Links

=__The Effects of Thallasemia__=


 * __Categories__:**

In **Thallasemia Major**, most children seem healthy at birth. During the first couple of years, however, the child with the disorder becomes pale and easily irritable, they also begin to lose their apetite. These children often grow very slowly and many times their skin will become a yellowish shade. Unfortunately, if treatment does not occur organs, including the spleen, liver, and heart, will bloat and bones will become skinny and weak. a lot of the time children with Thallasemia will look alike because the bones in their face become disfigured. Most deaths of children with Thallasemia Major are due to heart failure or infection.

Similar may be found in children with **Thallasemia Intermedia**, but a lot of times, the disease only becomes harsh after the victim has lived for roughly twenty years


 * Thalassemia Minor** is barely noticed and barely affects the carrier. There are usually no health problems as a result of Thalassemia minor.


 * __Specific Types__:**
 * The numerous **types of Alpha Thalassemia** can be ranked from having severe to not noticeable effects on the body**.**


 * Hydrops Fetalis (Alpha Thalassemia Major)** has the most effect on one’s body out of the Alpha Thalassemia diseases. When a fetus has Alpha Thalassemia Major, they create an abnormal hemoglobin, hemoglobin Barts, because there are no alpha genes in his/her DNA. This causes the gamma globins created to form the hemoglobin differently. Nearly all with this disease die before or soon after they are born. If the disease is discovered before the baby is born, which is very rare, then there is a possibility they could receive utero blood transfusions. This will allow a longer life, however, they will forever be affected since blood transfusions and medical care will be needed their entire lives.


 * Hemoglobin H-Constant Spring** causes people with this condition to have more severe anemia and are more likely to experience enlarged spleen and viral infections.


 * Homozygous Constant Spring** is usually less intense than hemoglobin H- Constant Spring and is seen as being more alike with Hemoglobin H Disease.


 * Hemoglobin H Disease** causes numerous effects such as severe anemia and major health problems like an enlarged spleen, bone distortion, and fatigue. Not only this, but those affected have an abnormal hemoglobin H that destroys their red blood cells meaning there is an insufficient amount of oxygen being carried throughout the body. This abnormal hemoglobin is where the disease obtained its name.


 * Alpha Thalassemia Trait (Mild Alpha Thalassemia)** means the patient has a greater lack of alpha protein than in the more mild Alpha Thalassemia disease (below). Those with Alpha Thalassemia have smaller red blood cells and also have mild anemia. They will not experience any of the symptoms and, because of this, physicians have been known to mistake this disease for iron deficiency anemia and will prescribe iron supplements.


 * Hemoglobin Constant Spring** is an abnormal type of the Silent Carrier. This variation is because of a mutation in the alpha globin. Although the two are different from each other, they are similar as Hemoglobin Constant Spring usually does not affect the carrier since it does not cause any health problems.


 * Silent Carrier State** usually has no effect on the carrier’s body. This is because the lack of alpha protein is so little that it does not affect the hemoglobin, allowing it to function normally.


 * The three **__types of Beta Thalassemia__** and their effect on the body can be ranked from severe to mild.


 * Thalassemia Major (Cooley's Anemia)** is the most severe of the Beta Thalassemia diseases as well as causing the most affect on a patient's life. This is because there are no beta protein in the hemoglobin, causing life-threatening anemia, which then creates a need for regular transfusion and medical care throughout the patient's life. These transfusions also lead to an iron-overload which requires a painful process to keep from early death and organ failure affecting the patient's life even more.


 * Thalassemia Intermedia** moderately affects the body because the amount of beta protein in the hemoglobin is lacking enough that it causes a moderate anemia and serious health problems, such as bone beformities and/or spleen enlargement. Thalassemia Intermedia also affects patients because they do not //need// blood transfusions, but it definitely improves the quality of their lives. Because there are only three levels of severity for Beta Thalassemia, the amount one is affected in Thalassmeia Intermedia varies greatly. Therefore, patients' severity is considered by the dependency they have on blood transfusions. Meaning, the more dependent someone is, the more closer they are to being catergorized as someone with Thalassemia Major.


 * Thalassemia Minor (Thalassemia Trait)** does not greatly affect the body because the lack of beta protein is so little that it does not affect the hemoglobin. People only carry this trait so they will only suffer from mild anemia and no other health problems. Just as with mild Alpha Thalassemia, physicians will incorrectly perscibe iron supplements if they mistake the small red blood cells as a sign of iron-deficiency.

Image of excessive iron in bone marrow

Sites Used: //Image from// [|**www.emedicine.com/.../ pimages/i30/s71/anemia.htm**] http://www.cooleysanemia.org/sections.php?sec=1#3 http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/thalassemias.html

Treatments-->