Thalassemia - A Fatal Disease Which Is Yet-To-Be-Fought-With

Thalassemia Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder which involves the defective production of hemoglobin, the protein that enables red blood cells to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. Thalassemia major, also known as Cooley's anemia, is a serious disorder. It is more frequent in people of Italian and Greek origin, and is therefore also called Mediterranean anemia. Symptoms include pale skin, irritability, growth retardation, enlargement of the liver and spleen, jaundice, and hemolytic anemia. Currently, periodical blood transfusion is the only feasible treatment option for thalassemia major.

The Ayurvedic treatment of this condition is aimed at improving the production of normal hemoglobin to the extent possible with medicines; and reducing symptoms and further complications. Medicines used are: Suvarna-Malini-Vasant, Abhrak-Bhasma, Heerak-Bhasma, Suvarna-Parpati, Suvarna-Sutshekhar-Ras and Suvarna-Bhasma. Since most presenting patients are children, these medicines have to be given cautiously in very small doses, in combination with other herbal medicines. These medicines include: Panch-Tikta-Ghrut-Guggulu, Arogya-Vardhini, Punarnavadi-Qadha, Sutshekhar-Ras, Panch-Tikta-Ghrut, Daadimadi-Ghrut, Shatavari-Kalpa, Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Sunthi (Zinziber officinalis), Marich (Piper nigrum), Pippali (Piper longum), Kumari (Aleo Vera), Laxa (Purified wax) and Manuka (Vitis vinifera).

In addition, medicines which modify and regulate the production of the 'Rakta' dhatu (tissue) of the body are used in this condition. These include: Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), Chopchini (Smilax china), Suranjaan (Colchicum luteum), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata), Patol (Tricosanthe dioica), Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Khadeer (Acacia catechu) and Bhrungraj (Eclipta Alba).

Since this is a major inherited disorder, medicines need to be used judiciously for prolonged periods, with a few drug-free intervals in between. It is important to note that all such patients should be under the regular care and supervision of a Hematologist.

Thalassemia is a hereditary disease. It is an autosomal recessive blood disease. Autosomal recessive pattern means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. Thalassemia is also known as Mediterranean anemia, Jaksch anemia or Cooley's anemia. This is not a single disorder but a group of defects with similar clinical effects. A group of inherited anemia, in which there is a defect in alpha or beta chains of hemoglobin. The anemia affected to the alpha chains is known as alpha thalassemia and the anemia affected to the beta chains are called beta chains. Thalassemia major is to describe homozygote and Thalassemia minor to heterozygote. The defect results in reduced rate of synthesis of one of the globin chain that makeup hemoglobin. This causes the formation of abnormal hemoglobin molecules which causes anemia, a characteristic symptom of thalassemias. Thalassemia includes different types of anemia. The severity depends up on the number of genes it affected. In this disorder the patient is unable to produce red blood cells and the reduction has to be supplemented with the transfusion of red blood cells, every 2-3 weeks to make patient healthy and to survive.

Alpha Thalassemia

It is caused by a decrease in the production of alpha globin chains due to mutation of the genes in the hemoglobin molecule. On each number sixteenth chromosome there two alpha globin chains can be seen forming a total number of four. Thalassemia