What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Thalassemias?
Signs and symptoms of thalassemias are due to lack
of oxygen in the bloodstream. This occurs because the body doesn't make enough
healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin. The severity of symptoms depends on the
severity of the disorder.
No Symptoms
Alpha thalassemia silent carriers generally have no
signs or symptoms of the disorder. This is because the lack of alpha globin
protein is so small that hemoglobin works normally.
Mild Anemia
People who have alpha or beta thalassemia trait can
have mild
anemia.
However, many people with this type of thalassemia have no signs or symptoms.
Mild anemia can make you feel tired. It's often
mistaken for
iron-deficiency
anemia.
Mild to Moderate Anemia and Other Signs and
Symptoms
People with beta thalassemia intermedia have mild to
moderate anemia. They also may have other health problems, such as:
- Slowed growth and delayed puberty. Anemia can
slow down a child's growth and development.
- Bone problems. Thalassemia may make bone marrow
(the spongy material inside bones that makes blood cells) expand. This causes
wider bones than normal. Bones also may be brittle and break easily.
- An enlarged spleen. The spleen is an organ that
helps your body fight infection and remove unwanted material. When a person has
a thalassemia, the spleen has to work very hard. As a result, the spleen
becomes larger than normal. This makes anemia worse. If the spleen becomes too
large, it must be removed.
Severe Anemia and Other Signs and Symptoms
People with hemoglobin H disease or beta thalassemia
major (also called Cooley's anemia) have severe thalassemia. Signs and symptoms
occur within the first 2 years of life. They may include severe
anemia and other serious health problems, such as:
- Pale and listless appearance
- Poor appetite
- Dark urine
- Slowed growth and delayed puberty
- Jaundice (a yellowish color of the skin or
whites of the eyes)
- Enlarged spleen, liver, and heart
- Bone problems (especially bones in the
face)
Complications of Thalassemias
Better treatments now allow people who have moderate
and severe thalassemias to live much longer. As a result, these people must
cope with complications of the disorder that occur over time.
Heart and Liver Disease
Regular
blood
transfusions are a standard treatment for thalassemias. (See
"How Are Thalassemias Treated?") As a
result, iron can build up in the blood. This can damage organs and tissues,
especially the heart and liver.
Heart disease caused by iron overload is the main
cause of death in people who have thalassemias. Heart disease includes
heart
failure,
arrhythmias
(irregular heartbeats), and
heart
attack.
Infection
Among people who have thalassemias, infections are a
key cause of illness and the second most common cause of death. People who have
had their spleens removed are at even higher risk, because they no longer have
this infection-fighting organ.
Osteoporosis
Many people who have thalassemias have bone
problems, including osteoporosis (OS-te-o-po-RO-sis). This is a condition in
which bones are weak and brittle and break easily. |