To many of us, thalassemia might sound like some strange being from one of the Avengers movies. Some of us, however, may be all too familiar with this condition…
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder, which is caused by an abnormal gene. There are two different types:
- Thalassemia minor (thalassemia trait)
- Thalassemia major
A 20-year-old Human reader was recently diagnosed with thalassemia minor. She asked doctors for their thoughts about her condition. She wanted to know what living with this disorder meant, its effects on her, and whether she could donate blood.
Dr Seah Heap Yong, a general practitioner, gave her some advice. Here's what he had to share.
What does it mean if you have thalassemia minor?
When you have thalassemia, it means that your haemoglobin genes are mutated. Therefore, your haemoglobin cells are not being formed correctly.
Haemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. When your body is unable to produce normal, functioning hemoglobin, you suffer from anemia.
However, in the case of thalassemia minor, you'd still have other normal working haemoglobin genes. They are still able to produce sufficient haemoglobin for your body to function.
How do people find out if they have it?
Most people with thalassemia minor will not realise it until they go for a routine health screening, or when they attempt to donate blood and are found to be mildly anaemic (anaemia = low haemoglobin).
You can lead a normal life with this condition
Dr Seah reassured our reader that it's not difficult to lead a normal life with thalassaemia minor, with the exception of 3 scenarios.
1. Try to find a partner who is not a thalassaemia minor
Dr Seah explains that if your partner has the same condition, there's a chance your child can have thalassaemia major – which is a more severe version of the condition.
The baby will have a lot of health issues and may require regular transfusions from the hospital. On another note, there might be a financial strain on you.
2. You probably won't be able to donate blood
Blood banks typically reject donations from thalassemia patients. You'd usually have haemoglobin levels that hover between 10 to 11 g/dl. This causes you to feel very giddy after donating one pint of blood.
For your safety and well-being, you are only allowed to donate blood if your haemoglobin level is above 12 g/dl.
Dr Seah also emphasised that thalassaemia is not transmissible via transfusion, so this is not the reason why you are unable to donate blood.
3. Don't push yourself too hard in endurance events
If you are into competitive sports, Dr Seah would advise you to take it easy when it comes to endurance events. In fact, in the army, those with thalassemia minor have to be downgraded to non-combat vocations.
A happy life with a normal life expectancy is possible!
If you are diagnosed with thalassemia minor, it’s important that you stay positive. It's not too difficult to lead a normal life, with the exceptions of a few added precautions for your own safety.
When you intend to settle down, just send your partner for a thalassaemia test.
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