World Thalassemia Day is being celebrated
Know thalassemia
World Thalassemia Day is being celebrated on May 8 this year as every year. This year's theme is Addressing Health Inequalities Across the Global Thalassemia community; In Bengali, it stands for "We are in the process of eliminating global thalassemia inequality."Sister Marrow transplant is going on somewhere in the world Gene therapy is also going on somewhere. And somewhere there is only blood circulation. Iron chelation medicine also does not match. This time the theme has been adopted to eliminate such inequality.
Let's know a little at the beginning, what is thalassemia? Thalassemia is a hereditary blood disorder. It is a gene-borne disease that is transmitted from generation to generation through genes.
Red blood cells also contain a special type of pigment called hemoglobin. This hemoglobin works to supply oxygen
Genetic defects in the formation or production of hemoglobin disrupt its production. Defective hemoglobin reduces the lifespan of red blood cells and causes them to break down more easily. In this condition anemia occurs in the body. There are various symptoms. This is thalassemia.
There are many types of thalassemia. Simply put, there are two main types of thalassemia: alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia.
In most cases alpha thalassemia is not acute. In many cases the symptoms are not understood, the patient leads a normal life.
Beta thalassemia can be of two types. A beta thalassemia minor. These are called thalassemia traits or carriers. The other is Thalassemia Major.
Thalassemia trait is the main carrier of the disease. In most cases, they do not show signs of thalassemia. Many may unknowingly carry the disease throughout their lives. Mild anemia occurs in a few cases.
If both parents have thalassemia treatment, the child has a 25 percent chance of developing thalassemia major. There is a 50 percent chance of a career
Fatigue, fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin, etc. are the symptoms of thalassemia. Jaundice occurs because the blood breaks down at a higher rate. Urine may also be yellow. The spleen becomes enlarged. The liver can also become enlarged. The bones tend to become thinner. There are special changes in appearance. The bones of the nose can be given. The shape of the face is like the Chinese. This is called 'Mongoloid Face'. Decreased body growth. Gradually some special complications appear.
Because the patient has to give blood frequently, the level of iron in the body increases. This iron is stored in the heart, liver and pancreas. This stage is fatal. It can be seen that due to the accumulation of excess iron, the organs start to become crippled. If proper treatment is not given in such a situation, the patient may die due to various physical complications.
The most common method of detecting thalassemia is a blood hemoglobin electrophoresis test. In our country, the scope of this test outside Dhaka is very limited. The possibility of thalassemia can be inferred from routine blood tests (CBCs). The disease can also be detected by DNA testing.
Blood transfusion is the main treatment for thalassemia. When iron is increased, it has to be reduced with iron chelation drugs. If the spleen becomes too big, the spleen has to be cut off by surgery. This reduces the rate of blood intake. Bone marrow transplantation is a permanent treatment. Gene therapy is another advanced treatment for this disease But these treatments are beyond the reach of the general public.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 100 million people worldwide carry different types of beta thalassemia genes. About one lakh children are born every year with complex thalassemia.
According to the World Health Organization, 6 percent of Bangladesh's population, or 11 million people, are carriers of thalassemia. Seven thousand new babies with thalassemia are born every year.
Awareness is very important to prevent thalassemia. Thalassemia can be greatly reduced by having a blood test before marriage. It is possible to reduce thalassemia if you can ensure that there is no marriage between the two careers. Marriage between relatives should be discouraged. In high-risk cases, fetal thalassemia should be checked in a special way on the advice of a doctor after the baby is born. Abortion can be done on the advice of a doctor if the disease is caught. In many countries of the world, the incidence of thalassemia has been reduced in this way.
Extensive public awareness is needed to prevent thalassemia. Thalassemia can be controlled if the government, private, social and media can create this awareness from all sides.
Author: Hematologist and leukemia specialist