What is thalassemia carrier?

A carrier of thalassaemia is someone who carries at least 1 of the faulty genes that causes thalassaemia, but does not have thalassaemia themselves. It’s also known as having the thalassaemia trait. If you’re a thalassaemia carrier, you will not develop thalassaemia.

What is alpha thalassemia carrier?

People who inherit hemoglobin genes that are altered or missing from one parent but inherit normal genes from the other parent are called carriers. Carriers of alpha thalassemia usually have no signs or symptoms. However, they can pass the faulty genes on to their children.

Where does alpha thalassemia come from?

Alpha thalassemia is caused by mutations in two different genes, the HBA1 and the HBA2 genes. Most individuals inherit two copies of each gene (for a total of four genes); one of each from a person’s father, and one of each gene from a person’s mother.

What is thalassemia?

Thalassemia is an inherited (i.e., passed from parents to children through genes) blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells.

What is a Haemoglobinopathy?

A haemoglobinopathy is an inherited blood disorder in which an individual has an abnormal form of haemoglobin (variant) or decreased production of haemoglobin (thalassaemia).

Does thalassemia make you tired?

Since your body has fewer red blood cells when you have thalassemia, you may have symptoms of a low blood count, or anemia. When you have anemia, you might feel tired or weak. You might also experience: Dizziness.

Is thalassemia the same as sickle cell?

Beta thalassemia disease is not a form of sickle cell disease, but it is a serious lifelong illness. People who have beta thalassemia disease do not make enough hemoglobin. The amount of hemoglobin a child can produce, determines whether a child has: Beta Thalassemia Intermedia.

How do you know if you have alpha thalassemia?

Children with alpha thalassemia major may have a swollen abdomen or symptoms of anemia or failure to thrive. If the doctor suspects alpha thalassemia, he or she will take a blood sample for testing. Blood tests can reveal red blood cells that are pale, varied in shape and size, or smaller than normal.

What race is thalassemia most common in?

Factors that increase your risk of thalassemia include:

• Family history of thalassemia. Thalassemia is passed from parents to children through mutated hemoglobin genes.
• Certain ancestry. Thalassemia occurs most often in African Americans and in people of Mediterranean and Southeast Asian descent.

What is the life expectancy of someone with thalassemia?

Persons with the thalassemia trait have a normal life expectancy. Persons with beta thalassemia major often die from cardiac complications of iron overload by 30 years of age.

Can thalassemia skip a generation?

Thalassemia is an inherited condition. The genes received from one’s parents before birth determine whether a person will have thalassemia. Thalassemia cannot be caught or passed on to another person.