Beta Thalassemia

Also known as: thalassemia, beta thalassemia major, beta thalassemia minor.

What is beta thalassemia?

Thalassemia is a medical condition in which the body makes less hemoglobin than usual. It causes anemia. There are two types of thalassemia, alpha and beta. Beta thalassemia impacts two different types of genes. When these genes are damaged or missing, it can cause beta thalassemia.

What causes beta thalassemia?

Beta thalassemia is a genetic disease, and the abnormal genes are passed along from parents to their children. A person must receive the genes from both parents in order to develop beta thalassemia.

What are the symptoms of beta thalassemia?

Possible symptoms of beta thalassemia include anemia, jaundice, tiredness, weakness, pale skin, poor appetite, repeat infection, abdominal swelling, slow growth and more.

What are beta thalassemia care options?

Beta thalassemia can be severe. Many people with the disease require regular blood transfusions in order to live a healthy life.

Reviewed by: Athena Pefkarou, MD

This page was last updated on: September 29, 2020 03:56 PM