Whenever I open a newspaper, I sometimes see an
advertisement - "Donate blood for thalassemia patients". So I
searched and found out -
The doctor said - we can save ourselves from this
serious blood problem if we can remove a little ignorance. Because it is a
hereditary disease. In this disease, blood is not produced naturally in the
body. This disease occurs due to a genetic problem.
I have seen one of my relatives suffering from this
disease for life. There are hundreds of others like this - how much do we
ordinary people keep track of them!!
Our body clock - the name of a mystery. Yes - indeed,
the one who created this body clock of ours - is an incomparable mystery lover.
Knowing the craftsmanship and mystery of this body clock completely and
maintaining it properly is a very difficult task, it is not even possible to
unravel all the mysteries.
But still, we have to keep trying to live a beautiful
and healthy life. And if we try, we can at least be successful in living a
healthy-beautiful life, even if not completely.
So we have to know - we have to accept - we have to
take care of it. We who are born with a healthy-normal body clock are really
lucky. The one who lacks even a small or slight organ - understands the pain of
this deficiency, no one else will understand at all.
It is important to be aware of this before giving
birth to a child, or even before marriage. Only by being a little aware can we
avoid falling victim to this unfortunate situation.
We have to learn to be careful in maintaining this
body clock. And each of us has to be responsible for imperfect people in any
way.
The birth of a child means a flood of joy in a family.
But if this joy is accompanied by sadness - a child with a congenital disease
is born. Then the amount of joy is the same as the amount of pain and fear that
comes to the entire family.
But some precautions can protect us from this pain -
for example. Experts say that if you are aware before marriage, you can avoid
the blood disease thalassemia. And from being careful with the pregnant woman
after conception to being careful during childbirth, it is possible to avoid
becoming the parents of a defective child.
Expert doctors say - that there is a treatment for
thalassemia. But it is very expensive. This disease can be avoided only if you
are aware. And this awareness is to get the blood of both the bride and groom
tested before marriage.
If you are affected by this disease, the blood in the
body decreases, the body becomes weak. It is a strange disease. As long as the
patient lives, he lives with a lot of difficulty. Patients need one to two bags
of blood every month. Since there is no readily available treatment, there is
no alternative to prevent this disease except awareness. This disease can be
cured through bone marrow transplantation. But it is very expensive. For this,
one should get the blood thalassemia test done before getting married.
According to the statistics of the World Health
Organization - 1 million people of the population of Bangladesh are carriers of
thalassemia disease. This large number of thalassemia carriers are giving birth
to seven thousand new thalassemia affected children every year through
marriage. Therefore, if marriage between two carriers can be prevented by
testing their blood before marriage, thalassemia disease can be prevented.
# I feel very sad to see these statistics - innocent
children suffer only because of our ignorance.
I learned from a research journal that many people
with the genetic disease thalassemia do not receive any treatment other than
blood transfusions. As a result, other problems are not detected on time. If
appropriate measures are taken by testing various hormones during childhood and
adolescence, a thalassemia patient can have a normal life like others to some
extent.
Experts say that regular blood transfusions cause iron
to accumulate in various important organs of the body such as the pituitary,
thyroid, pancreas, testicles, ovaries, adrenal glands, and liver. This also
disrupts their functioning. It is also necessary to pay attention to these
hormonal problems during adolescence.
#
In response to my curiosity, the expert explained in detail -
1.
Physical growth problems in thalassemia sufferers can start in the womb. 20 to
30 percent of thalassemia children have low growth hormone. Zinc deficiency
also occurs. Many are short-bodied. However, with proper treatment, they can achieve
the desired physical height.
2.
Immature puberty is another complication of thalassemia. The glands of the
reproductive system (testicles or ovaries) do not have the normal size, and
their ability to produce hormones is also low. In girls, delayed menstruation,
irregular or scanty menstruation, or hypogonadism may occur. This risk can be
reduced if arrangements are made to remove excess iron from the body before
puberty begins.
3.
About half of the patients are at risk of developing diabetes. The remaining
half may have glucose intolerance. Iron accumulation in the pancreas destroys
the ability to produce insulin. This is called secondary diabetes. Therefore,
it is important to check their blood sugar regularly even at a young age.
4.
Thyroid gland problems are very common in people with thalassemia. Thyroid
hormone should be checked once a year from the age of 12. Thyroxine should be
given if necessary.
5.
Due to deficiency of parathyroid gland hormones, calcium deficiency can occur
in the body. Body pain, bone fragility, and stones in various places are
symptoms of this problem.
6.
Their bones become thin and the cortex becomes dense. Malnutrition, lack of
physical exertion, and deficiency of adrenal sex hormones create the risk of
bone loss. Such problems can occur during puberty. The spine and waist bones
are most at risk. Therefore, the level of bone loss should be determined by
measuring bone density and necessary treatment should be provided. Emphasis
should be placed on consuming foods rich in calcium and vitamin D and regular
physical exercise.
#
Is it possible to prevent thalassemia? -
Expert doctors say that if you want to prevent it, you
have to be aware – to lead a healthy life.
