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Thalassemia and Who It Affects - Treatments for Thalassemia
This page contains links to eMedTV Blood Articles containing information on subjects from Thalassemia and Who It Affects to Treatments for Thalassemia. The information is organized alphabetically; the "Favorite Articles" contains the top articles on this page. Links in the box will take you directly to the articles; those same links are available with a short description further down the page.
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  • Thalassemia and Who It Affects
  • Thalassemia anemia
  • Thalassemia Diagnosis
  • Thalassemia Prevention
  • Thalassemia Research
  • Treatments for Thalassemia
 
 

Thalassemia and Who It Affects

There are two types of thalassemia: alpha and beta. This section of the eMedTV Web site describes thalassemia and who it affects. While anyone can get it, the condition seems to affect people in certain ethnic groups more than others.

Thalassemia anemia

Thalassemia Diagnosis

This eMedTV page describes how doctors make a thalassemia diagnosis using different blood tests. People with milder forms of the disease may receive a diagnosis after a routine blood test shows that they have anemia not caused by an iron deficiency.

Thalassemia Prevention

While there is really no such thing as thalassemia prevention, this page on the eMedTV site explains how prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling can help minimize the chances of having a baby with the disease.

Thalassemia Research

This eMedTV resource takes a look at thalassemia research on gene therapy and fetal hemoglobin. Scientists hope that by finding ways to enhance production of fetal hemoglobin in people with thalassemia, they can lessen the severity of the disease.

Treatments for Thalassemia

This eMedTV page describes possible treatments for thalassemia, including surgery and stem cell transplants. Iron chelation therapy, which is another type of treatment, removes excess iron that builds up in the body with regular blood transfusions.