Beta Thalassemia Intermedia Symptoms

Beta thalassemia intermedia is a blood disorder that disrupts the production of red blood cells. If you are diagnosed with this disorder, you will be anemic and often feel fatigued, your bones may be brittle and your spleen may be enlarged. You may also need blood transfusions several times a year to maintain enough red blood cells to keep you healthy. Beta thalassemia intermedia is more severe than beta thalassemia trait, but less severe than beta thalassemia major, which can be life threatening.

Cause

• Beta thalassemia is caused by a defect in the gene that encodes part of the hemoglobin molecule, a red blood cell component that carries oxygen through the bloodstream. The defect in the beta globin gene is inherited. If you have beta thalassemia intermedia, you probably inherited defective copies of the beta globin gene from both of your parents. People with only one defective gene have beta thalassemia trait and can be "silent carriers," which means they may not exhibit obvious symptoms of the disorder. However, they can still pass the defective gene to their children. Beta thalassemias are most common in people of Mediterranean origin--Italians, Greeks and Middle Eastern--and people of Asian or African ancestry.

Anemia

• People with beta thalassemia intermedia have mild to moderately severe anemia. Your bone marrow will not make enough red blood cells and those cells will have the faulty hemoglobin. The result is that your body will suffer constant fatigue because it is not getting all the oxygen it needs. If the anemia is severe, it may have delayed puberty and slowed your growth. You may also appear pale, or have a yellowish tint to your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice).

Other Symptoms

• In more severe cases of beta thalassemia intermedia, your bone marrow may expand. Your bones may grow wider and become brittle. You may develop osteoporosis and have a high risk of breaking your bones.

  Your spleen may grow too large as it fights to remove your abnormal blood cells. An enlarged spleen worsens anemia and, in some cases, you may need surgery to remove your spleen. Without your spleen, you will have a greater risk for infections.

Blood Transfusions

• If you have beta thalassemia intermedia and moderate anemia, you might need blood transfusions several times per year to help your body maintain enough red blood cells. The hemoglobin of healthy red blood cells contains iron, so with regular transfusions, a dangerous buildup of iron can occur. The excess iron can damage your heart or liver, so you may need to take drugs called iron chelators to control the levels of iron in your blood.