Complications

Iron Overload
People with thalassaemia can get too much iron in their bodies, either from the disease of from the blood transfusions. Too much iron will damage the heart, liver and endocrine system, which includes glands that produce hormones that regulate processes throughout the body. This is the main cause of death in people who have thalassaemia. Heart diseases include congestive heart failure, arrythmias(irregular heartbeat), heart attack

Infection
Infections are a key cause of illness and second most common cause of death. Thalassaemia increases the risk of developing a blood-borne infection related to blood transfusions, such as hepatitis which can damage the liver.

Bone deformities
Thalassaemia can make your bone marrow expand which causes bones to widen. This can result in abnormal bone structure. Abnormalities include skeleton and skull deformality, thickening skull and facial bones. Bane marrow expansion also makes bones thin and brittle, increasing the chance of broken bones, especially the spine. Spine fractures can result in compression of the spinal cord. This also causes osteoporosis which is a condition where the bones are weak, brittle and break easily.

Splenomegaly (Enlarged Spleen)
Spleen helps the body to fight infections and filter unwanted materials like old or damaged blood cells. Thalassaemia often destroys a large number of red blood cells, making the spleen work harder, causing it to enlarge. Splenomegaly can worsen anaemia and can reduce the life of transfused red blood cells. If the spleen is too big it may need to be removed.

Anemia
Thalassaemia can cause anemia which is a condition where there is a deficiency of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen from lungs to the tissues, so lack of hemoglobin causes hypoxia. Anemia can also lead to anisocytosis which is a blood abnormality where the red blood cells are of unequal sizes. Anemia can cause a child’s growth to slow down. Children with severe thalassaemia will rarely reach a normal adult height. Puberty may also be delayed because of endocrine problems.

Still Birth
Still birth is when a woman delivers a child who is dead. This happens when the patient has homozygous alpha thalassaemia.