Thalassemia

Thalassemia (thal-uh-SEE-me-uh) is an inherited blood disorder. It affects your body’s ability to produce normal hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells. It allows your red blood cells to transport oxygen throughout your body, nourishing your body’s other cells.

If you have thalassemia, your body produces fewer healthy hemoglobin proteins, and your bone marrow produces fewer healthy red blood cells. The condition of having fewer red blood cells is called anemia. As red blood cells serve the vital role of delivering oxygen to tissues in your body, not having enough healthy red blood cells can deprive your body’s cells of the oxygen they need to make energy and thrive.

How does thalassemia affect my body?

Thalassemia can cause mild or severe anemia and other complications over time (such as iron overload). Symptoms of anemia include:

• Fatigue.
• Trouble breathing.
• Feeling cold.
• Dizziness.
• Pale skin.

Who is at risk for thalassemia?

The gene mutations that cause thalassemia arose in humanity as partial protections against malaria. So, thalassemia affects people who have ancestral links to parts of the world where malaria is prevalent, such as Africa, Southern Europe and West, South and East Asia. Thalassemia is inherited, which means the condition is passed from a biological parent to their child.