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How is beta thalassemia minor treated?

How is beta thalassemia minor treated?

Treatment may include:

  1. Regular blood transfusions.
  2. Medicines to reduce extra iron from your body (called iron chelation therapy)
  3. Surgery to remove the spleen, if needed.
  4. Daily folic acid.
  5. Surgery to remove the gallbladder.
  6. Regular checks of heart and liver function.
  7. Genetic tests.
  8. Bone marrow transplant.

What should I do if I have thalassemia minor?

People with thalassemia minor or trait usually do not need blood transfusions because they either do not have anemia or have only a mild anemia. Many times people with thalassemia are prescribed a supplemental B vitamin, known as folic acid, to help treat anemia. Folic acid can help red blood cells develop.

What happens in beta thalassemia minor?

In people with beta thalassemia, low levels of hemoglobin lead to a lack of oxygen in many parts of the body. Affected individuals also have a shortage of red blood cells (anemia ), which can cause pale skin, weakness, fatigue, and more serious complications.

Can beta thalassemia minor have symptoms?

Beta thalassemia minor. This is also called beta thalassemia trait. It may cause no symptoms or only mild anemia. People with this mild form may not need treatment.

What is the diagnostic test for thalassemia?

Diagnosis. Doctors diagnose thalassemias using blood tests, including a complete blood count (CBC) and special hemoglobin tests. A CBC measures the amount of hemoglobin and the different kinds of blood cells, such as red blood cells, in a sample of blood.

Can thalassemia minor affect your period?

Puberty may be delayed or progress abnormally in teenagers with thalassemia, due to iron build up impairing the function of the pituitary gland. This may lead to complications such as: Absence of menstruation, known as amenorrhea.

How do you test for beta thalassemia?

Doctors diagnose thalassemias using blood tests, including a complete blood count (CBC) and special hemoglobin tests.

  1. A CBC measures the amount of hemoglobin and the different kinds of blood cells, such as red blood cells, in a sample of blood.
  2. Hemoglobin tests measure the types of hemoglobin in a blood sample.

At what age is thalassemia detected?

Most children with moderate to severe thalassemia receive a diagnosis by the time they are 2 years old. People with no symptoms may not realize that they are carriers until they have a child with thalassemia. Blood tests can detect if a person is a carrier or if they have thalassemia.