Let’s eradicate Thalassemia from Sri Lanka
About our genes: Our genes are arranged in pairs with one gene received from each parent. There are two types of hereditary diseases.
Autosomal Dominant – One defected gene from one parent is enough for the full blown disease.
Autosomal Recessive – Required both genes to be defected to show symptoms. If each parent carries one defected and one normal gene they do not show the symptoms but have 25% chance to have a child with the disease.
Thalassemia Minor: Have one defected gene from a parent; usually they do not show symptoms expect for mild anemia. However if married another carrier they may produce a child with Thalassemia
What is Thalassemia?
Thalassemia is an inherited (pass from parents) disease which leads to produce absent or low amount of normal hemoglobin. This is literally a preventable disease.
About our genes: Our genes are arranged in pairs with one gene received from each parent. There are two types of hereditary diseases.
Autosomal Dominant – One defected gene from one parent is enough for the full blown disease.
Autosomal Recessive – Required both genes to be defected to show symptoms. If each parent carries one defected and one normal gene they do not show the symptoms but have 25% chance to have a child with the disease.
Thalassemia Minor: Have one defected gene from a parent; usually they do not show symptoms expect for mild anemia. However if married another carrier they may produce a child with Thalassemia
Thalassemia Major: Both genes are required to be defected and show severe symptoms.
Problems
For most of the times Thalassemia Minor does not require medical interventions. However Thalassemia Major has lot of complications including the following necessary to be treated for life.
· Bone deformities in the face
· Fatigue
· Growth failure
· Shortness of breath
· Short life expectancy ;Average life span is 20 years
· Iron overload · Organ failure are the health risks
Treatments (for Thalassemia Major)
- Lifetime monthly blood transfusions which is painful and reduce the quality of life.
- Drug therapy throughout the life is required to remove excess iron from the system
Other main problem is High health cost. According to some health news Rs 1,600 million is spent every year to treat Thalassemia and it is about 15% of the total health allocation. During the lifetime average of 10 million rupees is spent for one Thalassemic patient.If this is eradicated, that money could be used to save many lives.
Do only blood related couples produce Thalassemic children?: No, although the chance of having a Thalassemic child to a blood related couple is high due to the tendency of both parents being carriers. Non blood related couples could also have Thalassemic children if both of them are carriers.
What should we do?
It is a great responsibility of us to eradicate this unfortunate preventable disease. Couples can test them selves before the marriage and consider the following
- If both tested negative-No problem at all
- If one is positive and other is not – still you can marry and have children (but remember to test your children at least before they get married)
- If both found positive – If possible don’t get married/ if you marry you can consider adopting a child. But if you really want to have your own children just think twice about the suffering your child has to bear throughout.
What are the tests to identify the carriers?
• Hemoglobin electrophoresis
• Hemoglobin electrophoresis
• Complete Blood Count
• Iron status studies
• Iron status studies
Helping institutions
National Thalassaemia Center at Teaching hospital Kurunegala provides assistance to Thalassemic patients.
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| www.nation.lk |
"Homeopathy not need to find reason to the case. According to homeopathic doctrine can find the remedy compare drug picture with symptoms'
ReplyDeleteSo if you join us to your investigations, We also can help you.
Dr Leetus
Former Member of S..H.M.C