Medical Questions » Blood Questions » Question No. 136
| Question: | My father has thalassaemia. I remember him telling me that I must not marry someone with this disease. How would I know if someone had it? |
| Answer: | Thalassaemia is a blood disease that causes severe anaemia. It is found in people who come from southern Italy, Sicily and Malaysia (how' s that for a cross-cultural and geographic mix up!). It is a genetically transmitted disease, and occurs in two forms, minor and major.
Thalassaemia minor is only an inconvenience, and is almost certainly the form of the disease suffered by your father. Blood tests can be used to determine whether a person has the disease.
If someone with thalassaemia minor marries a normal person, half their children will develop thalassaemia minor. If two people with thalassaemia minor marry, one quarter of their children will have the far more serious and disabling disease of thalassaemia major. One half will have thalassaemia minor, and the other quarter will be normal.
Patients with thalassaemia major are very anaemic, weak and susceptible to other diseases. They lead a very restricted life as a result.
You should arrange through your GP to have the tests to see if you have the minor form of the disease. If you do, any likely marriage partner should also have the same test. You can then decide on your future. |
|
|
