According to the facts, Thalassemia is actually a genetic or even a hereditary disease that causes the formation of abnormal red blood cells inside the body.
All these abnormal red blood cells could break down easily and it also shortens the life span of the cell. When the lifespan of blood cells becomes short, Thalassemia patients will experience signs of anemia.
Ministry Of Health Malaysia has posted on their official Facebook page about the 6 major symptoms of having Thalassemia. The 6 symptoms are:
- Experiencing lack of blood problem or better known as anemia when the age has reached between 3 months old and 18 months old.
- Noticeable pale complexion, always feeling weak and also anxious.
- Stunted growth.
- Severe anemia could cause difficulties in breathing.
- Swollen of abdomen because of the enlargement on the size of liver and spleen.
- Enlargement of the skull, such as the cheekbone and jawbone (This would be the later symptom of Thalassemia).
According to the Facebook post, it also taught a little bit about Thalassemia. It stated there that someone who experiences Thalassemia would not be able to produce sufficient hemoglobin for the whole body.
Hemoglobin inside the red blood cell functions as the oxygen carrier throughout the whole body.
Sources: Facebook Ministry Of Health Malaysia.