What is thalassemia?
Thalassemia is a hereditary blood disease that mainly affects the synthesis of hemoglobin, resulting in abnormal red blood cell function. In recent years, with the popularization of health knowledge, attention to thalassemia has gradually increased. This article will introduce in detail the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of thalassemia, and provide hot topics and hot content in the past 10 days.
1. Causes of Thalassemia
Thalassemia is caused by a genetic mutation that results in insufficient or missing synthesis of hemoglobin chains. Thalassemia is mainly divided into alpha and beta types based on the type of hemoglobin chain affected.
| Type | Affected genes | common areas |
|---|---|---|
| alpha thalassemia | HBA1, HBA2 | Southeast Asia, Africa |
| beta thalassemia | HBB | Mediterranean coast, Middle East |
2. Symptoms of thalassemia
The symptoms of thalassemia vary depending on the type and severity. In mild cases, there may be no obvious symptoms, while in severe cases, severe anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, etc. may occur.
| Symptom type | Mild | Severe |
|---|---|---|
| anemia | slight fatigue | Severe fatigue and paleness |
| Hepatosplenomegaly | None | Significant swelling |
| Skeletal deformities | None | common |
3. Diagnosis of thalassemia
Thalassemia is diagnosed mainly through blood tests and genetic testing. The following are common diagnostic methods:
| diagnostic methods | Description |
|---|---|
| Blood routine | Check the number and shape of red blood cells |
| Hemoglobin electrophoresis | Analyze hemoglobin type |
| genetic testing | Confirm genetic mutation |
4. Treatment of Thalassemia
Treatment of thalassemia mainly includes blood transfusions, medications and bone marrow transplants. The following are common treatments:
| Treatment | Applicable people | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| regular blood transfusions | Severe patients | relieve anemia |
| iron chelating agent | Long-term blood transfusion patients | Reduce iron overload |
| bone marrow transplant | matched donor | A radical cure is possible |
5. Hot topics and content in the past 10 days
The following are hot topics and hot content about thalassemia in the past 10 days:
| Date | hot topics | heat index |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-01 | New breakthrough in gene therapy for thalassemia | ★★★★ |
| 2023-11-03 | Thalassemia screening included in pregnancy test | ★★★ |
| 2023-11-05 | Survey on the quality of life of patients with thalassemia | ★★ |
| 2023-11-08 | Thalassemia public welfare activities | ★★★ |
6. Measures to prevent thalassemia
Thalassemia is a hereditary disease, and the key to prevention lies in genetic screening and genetic counseling. Here are the precautions:
| measures | Description |
|---|---|
| premarital screening | Test whether both parties carry mutated genes |
| prenatal diagnosis | Detecting fetal disease during pregnancy |
| genetic counseling | Provide fertility advice |
Conclusion
Thalassemia is a serious genetic disease, but with scientific diagnosis and treatment, patients' quality of life can be significantly improved. The public should increase their awareness of thalassemia and actively participate in screening and prevention to reduce the occurrence of the disease.
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