What is Thalassemia - Learning up the basics

WHAT IS THALASSEMIA?
Thalassemia (also spelled Thalassaemia) is a group of blood inherited disease that effects the body's ability to produce RBC's (Red Blood Cells) and hemoglobin. Patients suffering it have lower number of red blood cells in their body and very less hemoglobin. In many cases, the red blood cells are too small.
Hemoglobin is  the pigment found in blood, made of iron, that gives the blood it's red color. It combines loosely with oxygen we breath in to form a non-stable compound called the oxy-hemoglobin. So, in Thalassemia patients the ability of transfer of oxygen throughout the body is affected greatly. This hemoglobin and red blood cells are produced by a spongy material inside heads of long bones (called bone marrow) through a process called hematopoesis.
The bone marrow of Thalassemia patients don't produce enough hemoglobin and RBS's resulting in anemia and fatigue and in severe cases resulting in damage and restricted growth of organs, heart failure, liver damage and even death!
People with a less severe Thalassemia doesn't require any treatment and in most cases require regular blood transfusions and by adopting a healthier diet to overcome fatigue.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF THALASSEMIA?
1. Alpha Thalassemia
2. Beta Thalassemia
or simply they can be classified as:
1. Thalassemia Minor
2. Thalassemia Major

Both will be discussed in later on posts.......

WHY RED BLOOD CELLS SHAPE MATTERS?
Before discussing it, let's really understand the true shape of red blood cells. Simply, red blood cells are biconcave disk shaped with a depression at bottom. It's microscopic (less than 6 micro-meter) or 25,000 times smaller than a fine grain of sand. There are approximately 5 million RBC's in a average human body. In scientific terms, red blood cells are called erythrocytes. Red blood cells have the tendency to be flexible so it can squeeze through fine capillaries. As the red blood cell is biconcave (thin at center and thick at edges) it has a great surface area. This enables the RBC's to be efficient oxygen carriers.

As the blood cells become cylindrical and small in Thalassemia, this greatly alters their function. RBC's are unable to pass through small capillaries due to denatured shape and their protocol of efficient oxygen carriers is nullified. Hence, oxygen is not properly delivered to bodily tissues and organs and therefore this acts a major hindrance in normal body function.