INVC NEWS
One should never compromise on health and start identifying the warning signals that our body gives, time to time. The tiredness and exhaustion which usually we usually tend to let go off might be the symptoms from our body of severe diseases like Thalassemia.
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder where in the affected carries fewer red blood cells than normal along with dropped haemoglobin levels. The affected person is always seemed to be drained, pale and exhausted as the low haemoglobin and fewer red blood cells of Thalassemia might cause Anaemia. A sufferer can either have a Minor or Major Thalassemia.
People with Minor Thalassemia, are just the carriers of it and do not endure any symptoms in most of the cases. The unnoticeable symptoms of Thalassemia Minor make it difficult to perceive. Thus, one must get tested if one of your parents or a close relative is infected.
On the other hand, Thalassemia Major is a severe life-threatening disease caused due to severe anaemia. This has various symptoms like paleness, fatigue, slow growth, and iron overload.
If one of the parents is a carrier of Thalassemia, then it is very essential for the parent partner to go in for a HPLC Test or High Performance Liquid Chromatography which is gold standard technology for the screening of Thalassemia carrier.
A person suffering from Thalassemia would undergo treatments like blood transfusion, bone marrow transplants or would be asked to undergo a rigorous course of medications.
Thalassemia also brings up numerous concerns related to pregnancy and infertility. This problem affects the development of reproductive organ because of which women with thalassemia face fertility issues. Thus, it is very essential for a Thalassemic mother to plan her pregnancy, precariously as the iron levels need to be monitored from time to time.
Just in case, both the parents are Thalassemic minors, there is a high probability that their offspring to be Thalassemia Major. Hence, in this situation, the couple must resort to IVF Treatments where the affected genes are discarded and the unaffected genes are restored or transferred.
Pregnancy is a very crucial stage thus, it is very essential that diagnosis can occur before the birth through Prenatal Testing.
The mother should also follow a good diet along with consumption of plenty of fresh juices which are free from iron as Thalassemic people already have abundant iron in their blood which causes unnecessary depositions in the human body. Indulgence in physical activities like yoga, swimming, cycling and brisk walking can also be very beneficial.
In conversation with Dr. Rita Bakshi, Senior Gynaecologist and IVF Expert, International Fertility Centre
