Thalassemia Intermedia
Thalassemia Intermedia is a situation where the child is in between Thalassemia minor and Thalassemia major. This means that they do not require blood and other medication as frequently as a Thalassemia major patient.
The major problem lies in the diagnosis of Intermedia. Unlike Thalassemia major, the symptoms do not show up at a very early age. The symptoms start showing up when the child is 4 to 5 years old. By this time, the disease has already started having its effects on the child. Therefore, an intermedia case is very tricky and has to be dealt with very carefully.
The symptoms of Thalassemia Intermedia are similar to that of Major. There will be bone deformities, pale skin and delayed puberty. However, the only difference is that these symptoms only start showing up when the child is 4 to 5 years old.
Treatment
As Thalassemia Intermedia is not same as Major, the treatment methodology also differs. The essential thing here is to constantly monitor the Hemoglobin levels. In a lot of cases, Thalassemia Intermedia patients are able to maintain satisfactory levels of hemoglobin in their body without the need of blood transfusions.
However, if the levels are not monitored regularly, the hemoglobin levels might go down which will be risky for the patient. There may be complications which can occur due to negligence. In fact, Thalassemia Intermedia is also very dangerous simply because people tend to relax and think that their child is completely normal. In turn, they do not worry about the medications and other requirements of the child which can lead to problems later. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to stay alert and monitor the hemoglobin levels of the child.
A Thalassemia Intermedia child can do most of the daily activities and may need blood transfusions at less regular intervals. However, the good part is that a Thalassemia Intermedia patient needs blood to lead a good life and not to survive like in the case of a Thalassemia major patient.
Importance of Blood Transfusions
Since the child is leading almost a normal life, people tend to give less importance to blood transfusions. However, if regular monitoring is not done and subsequently if transfusions are not done as required, the child will face problems. This is because the bone marrow would have to work extra to make enough red blood cells in order to maintain adequate level of hemoglobin. Due to this extra work performed by the bone marrow, the structure of the bones get affected and may get distorted.
In extreme cases, when the body is in need of blood, the bone marrow might call upon chest bones and bones in the spine area to also start making blood. If appropriate action is not taken in time, the child might become a Thalassemia Major patient requiring regular blood transfusions.
How to increase Hemoglobin levels?
There are some drugs which help in increasing the fetal hemoglobin levels in the body. There are some other patients also who are prescribed some drugs which stimulate the creation of red blood cells. However, the RBCs created in such a way may contain defective hemoglobin. Hence, it does not really help in reducing anemia. Therefore, it is imperative that one carefully considers all the options before taking any decision.
There is a traditional method also to help build blood in body and remove excess iron. This is called Wheat grass therapy. It is a very inexpensive but effective method to maintain hemoglobin in your body and also remove toxins at the same time. In our next article, we will understand more about this magical therapy.