Anonymous

3 years

Anaemia or Thalassemia

I’m a woman in 20’s and I’ve done health screening test at one of pathology laboratory in end of September 2020. My health screening results showed that in Haematology test, MCV and MCH are less than normal range and platelet count exceeded than normal range which is 405.The comment that I received and th from laboratory is RBC appears slightly Hypochromic and they suggested thalassemia studies. Kindly please advice me what shall I do next. Thank you, doctor. :slightly_smiling_face:

Greetings! Thank you for your questions.:slightly_smiling_face:

First and foremost, we truly understand your concerns regarding your symptoms and other health problems you might be facing. Generally, thalassemia is a group of diseases that result in defects of blood quality. This condition is caused by a genetic defect that controls the production of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. People with thalassemia are unable to produce adequate and quality hemoglobin. The human body depends on the level of hemoglobin that works well. Therefore, patients will look pale and easily lethargic due to low hemoglobin levels in the body (called “anemia”).

For your information, there are several physical and lab examinations that should be performed before saying / diagnosing a patient with thalassemia. Low MCV is often the first indication of thalassemia. With thalassemia, red blood cells often appear smaller than normal (microcytic, low MCV). Red cells can also appear pale than usual (hypochromic).

From your complaints, I greatly suggest you to see a doctor to undergo physical examination directly so that the right treatment can be given. Treatment that usually given to people with thalassemia are:

  • Monthly blood transfusions
  • Iron removal treatment
  • Bone marrow transplantation
  • Spleenomy (“splenectomy”)
  • Antibiotics

In order for us to provide you with an accurate choice of treatment and management, we need additional details to explore further into your current complaints. The following answers regarding your current queries are just general descriptions due to the limited information provided by you. Therefore, we greatly suggest that you refer this to your nearest medical doctor for full examinations. You may also click on this link (DoctorOnCall) to speak with our doctors online. We assure you that our conversations are kept in confidentiality unless additional consultation needed with other medical parties. Thank you.

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