Hi, i wonder if anyone can help shed a light on thallessemia, and how it affects their daily life? anyone here who suffers from it? my hubbys been diagnosed with it, im worried as i dont know anything about this condition, iv googled it but theres alot of scary stuff out there dont know wt to believe in.. gp said his blood count is rly low and low iron and thallessemia has been detected in his blood tests, gp was asking abt our family history as this deformity comes usually from pakistani ethnicity backgrounds and im panicking now coz we’ve been trying for a baby for past 8 years and didnt know about this.we were going to go for ivf etc but hubbys health went bad last year as his oxygen levels went below 60%, hes recovering now but is our future of having a family ruined? plz help. thanx,
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
is it a major or minor one? MAJOR THALASSEMIA requires blood transfusion i believe...while MINOR THALASSEMIA is easily treatable with medication and diet.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
its minor
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
its minor
then in that case, it's NOT a big deal...if the patient is a kid, he will grow out of it with age...the doctor will prescribe some meds and the patient be given better diet that helps thallassemia. Good Luck!
the incidence of this disorder is quite common among South East Asians, especially in people from the sub-continent.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
A lady I know has thalasemia minor. When she was having kids they tested her husband to find out if he had thelasemia minor too or not because if both had it then there would be higher chances that the baby would have thelasemia major, however her husband is fine (I am guessing you are fine too, if not sure, get tested). She is now having her third baby without IVF at the age of 42. She did have some fertility issues (unrelated to the thelasemia, and she got treated for it), so I am sure that you could have kids easily. IA! if thelasemia is your major concern.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
I have thalassemia minor and so does my mother. Its a genetic birth defect, where one has smaller red blood cells, or fewer of them since birth, resulting in iron deficiency and anemia. It makes NO difference to ones lifestyle or have ANY impact on the overall health condition whatsoever. I was born with it, and so was my mother; if your hubby has been diagnosed with it, he was born with it too as no one can develop it suddenly. However, the condition of having smaller red blood cells is totally normal for all of us, since that is how ones body is made and have been functioning since birth! And honestly, I've never had any problems or any health issues at all....throughout my childhood I was always diagnosed with Anemia and having low iron levels, and my mom used to keep on giving me vitamins; it was only two years ago when I moved to Canada was I diagnosed, and the doctor said no amount of iron is going to fix the Anemia because the iron deficiency is due to the smaller red blood cells. And there's nothing wrong with that, that's the way we are made, and our body works with it normally.
So as far as starting a family is concerned, it will not have an effect and should not be a worry AT ALL. You need to get yourself tested as well, and, God forbid, if both of you are minor then there is a high probability of the child developing thalassemia major, which is a cause of concern.
Do get tested, and keep having Folic acid. For hubby, he should have multi-vitamins for overall health and well being along with exercise and proper diet. Overall, thalassemia is not an ailment or a condition which would prevent you from leading a normal life, or interfere with everyday activities, having an effect on your future generations.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
If both spouses have Thalassemia Minor there is a 25% chance that their offspring develops Thalassemia Major, a 25% chance that their kids will be Thalassemia free and a 50% chance that they will also have Thalassemia Minor.
However if only one of the two partners has Thalassemia Minor there is virtually no chance for Thalassemia Major and it's 50/50 between the kid having Thalassemia minor or being Thalassemia free.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
JazakAllah khairun to you all for the re-assurance, as its minor thalasemia theres nothing to worry about inshaAllah. Hes still due further tests to check his vit d/calcium levels, hope they turn out ok
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
Your future of having a family is not ruined. Dr. Google probably freaked you out a bit too much.
Totally agree with what ayeshaz said. I have the Thalassemia trait or as most people might say I am a Thalassemia minor. My white blood cell count always comes a little lower than most people. I am anemic but live a perfectly normal life. Have never needed any medication to "treat" the trait. I also happen to have a perfectly healthy daughter who did not get the trait from me. Note before getting married my hubby got tested & he does not have it. I got it from my mom & my Baba doesn't have it.
The only thing our parents were advised by our pediatricians back in the days was to make sure that when we kids were getting married, we got our potential spouse tested because if both people have it THEN its a problem. It doesn't mean the couple won't conceive, it just means that there is a chance that either the pregnancy might not go through or child might be born with some abnormalities.
Also the trait is more common than you would think it is. If your husband is a minor then him being a Thalassemia minor does not have anything to do with you guys not having a baby yet.
Also your doctor should have already told you this but you need to get yourself checked for Thalassemia as well.
Good luck.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
Same here Bint-e-Naeem, I got it from my mom and she got it from my nana. My nani,dad and hubby dont have it....
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
I have it from my mom and so does my sis... I have 2 kids... My son has it ..my daughter doesnt. Its harder on the girls than the guys cuz of blood loss during periods... But otherwise... I dont feel it in my day to day life.... Yes during pregnancy it was difficult cuz of lack of oxygen due to low blood count... But once thats over....its normal life..
My son is very active mashallah... Noissues at all..
I agree with bint and ayesha...
Tis cant be stopping u from having kids. Dr should have eased ure tension by telling u this already.
And no amount of iron pills will help. None.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
then in that case, it's NOT a big deal...if the patient is a kid, he will grow out of it with age...the doctor will prescribe some meds and the patient be given better diet that helps thallassemia. Good Luck!
the incidence of this disorder is quite common among South East Asians, especially in people from the sub-continent.
Where did you get your info from guy?!! Grow out of it?! Seriously?
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
Thalesemia is actually quite common in Asia due to cousin marriages.
Re: Mild case of Thallassemia?
I am a carrier of Thalassemia, which means I have Thalassemia Minor. I did not even know I was a carrier until I was in my early 20's. It has had no affect on my life whatsoever. The only thing the doctor told me was that when getting married, I should make sure that my husband is not a carrier as well. Before I got married, I had my fiancé get checked and he isn't a carrier. The only thing is that you will probably be slightly anemic (iron deficiency) your whole life, so it is recommended to always take a multivitamin. Other than that, trust me, there is absolutely no affect on your life at all. I also got it from my mother, and obviously my father does not have it. Also, as far as I know, going back to my great-grandparents on both sides, no one married their cousin, but it could be a possibility that it is more prevalent because of that. However, a doctor once told me that it is most prevalent in people of Mediterranean decent.