What type of anemia does thalassemia cause?

Thalassemia can cause mild or severe anemia. Anemia occurs when your body does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. The severity and type of anemia depends on how many genes are affected.

How is thalassemia different from anemia?

Distinguishing Iron Deficiency Anemia From Thalassemia Trait The first difference is in the red blood cell count (labeled RBC). In iron deficiency, this value is low because the bone marrow is unable to manufacture red blood cells. In thalassemia trait, RBC is normal to elevated.

Is thalassemia a hemolytic anemia?

Beta thalassemia major causes hemolytic anemia, poor growth, and skeletal abnormalities during infancy. Affected children will require regular lifelong blood transfusions. Beta thalassemia intermedia is less severe than beta thalassemia major and may require episodic blood transfusions.

Why is RBC count high in thalassemia?

In beta-thalassemia major, anemia is severe, often with hemoglobin ≤ 6 g/dL (≤ 60 g/L). Red blood cell count is elevated relative to hemoglobin because the cells are very microcytic.

Is ferritin normal in thalassemia?

The FEP is increased in iron-deficiency anemia and in chronic disease and normal in thalassemia. The serum ferritin is decreased in iron deficiency, normal in thalassemia, and increased in chronic infection.

Is ferritin high in thalassemia?

Results: 87.4% of the beta thalassaemia major patients showed very high ferritin levels. The mean serum ferritin level was found to be 2767.52 ng/ml. 44.4% patients had serum ferritin between 1000 to 2500 ng/ml, while 43.05% patients had values above 2500 ng/ml.

Can thalassemia cause low platelet count?

Hypersplenism can contribute to anemia in individuals with beta thalassemia and cause low levels of white blood cells, increasing the risk of infection, and low levels of platelets, which can lead to prolonged bleeding.

Why is MCV low in thalassemia?

The RDW is normal in patients with thalassemia and anemia of chronic disease but high in those with iron deficiency. The MCV is decreased in iron-deficiency anemia and in thalassemia minor and normal or decreased in chronic disease.

How does thalassemia cause Microcytic anemia?

Thalassemias are a common cause of microcytic anemia and are due to impaired synthesis of the globin protein component of hemoglobin. Beta-thalassemia is an inherited disease with a wide phenotypic severity of the disease.

What is thalassemia?

Thalassemia (thal-uh-SEE-me-uh) is an inherited blood disorder that causes your body to have less hemoglobin than normal. Hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen. Thalassemia can cause anemia, leaving you fatigued.

Can thalassemia cause shortness of breath?

When there are not enough healthy red blood cells, there is also not enough oxygen delivered to all the other cells of the body, which may cause a person to feel tired, weak or short of breath. This is a condition called anemia. People with thalassemia may have mild or severe anemia.

What is the relationship between thalassemia and oxygen?

Oxygen is a sort of food that cells use to function. When there are not enough healthy red blood cells, there is also not enough oxygen delivered to all the other cells of the body, which may cause a person to feel tired, weak or short of breath. This is a condition called anemia. People with thalassemia may have mild or severe anemia.

How is thalassemia different from iron deficiency anemia?

The peripheral blood smear picture for the minor forms of Thalassemia look very similar to that of Iron Deficiency Anemia. The difference between the two conditions can be distinguished by comparing iron study results, as well as specific CBC findings (RDW, RBC count), and peripheral smear findings (inclusions, poikilocytosis). 2