7 Health hazards and complications of thalassemia

Thalassemia complications that may arise

The body of a thalassemia sufferer will have less number of healthy red blood cells. The main cause of thalassemia is a genetic mutation that is hereditary, so this condition affects the production of hemoglobin (Hb) in the blood.

One of the main functions of hemoglobin is to transport and distribute oxygen throughout the body via the bloodstream. If the hemoglobin in red blood cells does not work normally, the patient will experience symptoms of thalassemia, such as anemia.

The severity of the symptoms that appear usually depends on the type of thalassemia suffered. For patients with thalassemia minor with a mild severity, usually the risk of complications is very low.

However, thalassemia major, which is more severe, has the potential to cause various health problems, from the condition of the bones, the patient's growth and development, to the body's susceptibility to certain diseases.

The following is an explanation of each of the dangers and health complications that can occur in thalassemia patients:

1. Problems and damage to bones

One of the common complications found in people with thalassemia is bone problems. You may be thinking, how can blood disorders worsen bone health?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, a thalassemia sufferer's body will work much harder to make more red blood cells. The production of red blood cells occurs in the bone marrow, the spongy part that is located in the middle of the bone.

When the bone marrow works harder than usual, it causes the bone to overgrow, expand, and stretch. As a result, bones become thinner, brittle, and prone to fractures.

One of the complications of thalassemia that affects bones is osteoporosis. Based on a study from Expert Review of Hematology , about 51% of thalassemia patients have osteoporosis.

2. Excess iron in the body

One of the ways to treat thalassemia is to give blood transfusions so that the body gets a higher number of normal red blood cells. Routine blood transfusions are usually given to patients with major or severe thalassemia.

However, too many blood transfusions can actually increase iron levels in the body. Iron that accumulates too much can have a negative impact on the function of organs, such as the heart and liver.

To prevent complications of iron overload, thalassemic patients require iron chelation therapy. Chelation therapy uses medications, either pills or injections under the skin, to remove excess iron before it builds up in the organs.

3. Allloimmunization

Still associated with complications of thalassemia due to blood transfusion procedures, thalassemia sufferers are also susceptible to a condition called alloimmunization. This condition occurs when the immune system perceives blood from a transfusion as a threat and tries to destroy it.

Alloimmunized thalassemic patients can still receive blood transfusions, but the blood received should be checked and compared with their own blood. Its purpose is to ensure that blood from a transfusion is not destroyed by the immune system.

Of course, this procedure requires additional time, so patients receiving blood transfusions have to wait longer to find suitable blood.

4.Hepatomegaly (enlarged liver)

Complications from thalassemia can also affect the liver. In people with thalassemia, the abnormal production of red blood cells can lead to extramedular erythropoiesis, which is when red blood cells are produced by other organs, such as the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

When the liver produces red blood cells in excess, this can result in a larger than normal liver size. It does not stop there, an enlarged liver can also trigger other health problems, such as hepatitis. That's why people with severe thalassemia often experience it jaundice (jaundice).

5. Heart problems

Another body organ that is also at risk for complications due to thalassemia is the heart. Heart function can be impaired due to blood transfusion procedures in patients with thalassemia major.

This is related to an increase in iron levels in the body. The buildup of iron can interfere with the performance of the heart muscle. As a result, people with thalassemia are at risk of developing various diseases such as congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease.

6. More susceptible to infection

As mentioned above, blood in people with thalassemia is also overproduced in the spleen. The spleen is an organ located on the left side of the abdomen, just below the ribs below.

The two main roles of the spleen are filtering the blood and detecting certain infections in the blood. If you have thalassemia, your spleen will increase in size because it works so hard to make blood cells.

This complication results in the spleen unable to work to filter blood or detect certain infections in the body of people with thalassemia.

As a result, thalassemia sufferers often experience a condition known as immunocompromised . This means that the body's defenses against infection are no longer working properly.

At this stage, you will be more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections, from mild ones such as influenza, to severe ones such as pneumonia and hepatitis C. Therefore, thalassemia patients need extra protection, such as flu shots and other vaccinations.

7. Impaired hormone production and puberty

Another complication that is also commonly found in patients with severe thalassemia is the disruption in growth and development. This is due to a buildup of iron which is also present in the endocrine glands.

Endocrine are glands that function to produce hormones in the body. This hormone plays a role in the process of growth, puberty, and metabolism.

When too much iron builds up in the endocrine glands, the body's hormone production can be disrupted. As a result, puberty in people with thalassemia will usually be delayed by several years, namely in the age range of 13 years in girls and 14 years in boys.