A special DNA test has shown that you carry alpha plus thalassaemia. Here is a brief explanation.
- A carrier of alpha plus thalassaemia is a healthy person.
- Carrying alpha plus thalassaemia will not weaken you physically or mentally.
- You can eat what you want and do any kind of work you choose.
- You do not need any medical treatment because you carry it.
What is alpha plus thalassaemia?
Alpha plus thalassaemia is one of a range of variations that can occur in haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin is a component of blood. It is red, and causes the blood to be red. Haemoglobin is contained in red blood cells. Because you carry alpha plus thalassaemia, you have smaller red blood cells and more of them than other people. Carrying alpha plus thalassaemia is not an illness, and will never turn into an illness. You will never lose it, and no-one can “catch” it from you. You inherited alpha plus thalassaemia from one of your parents, and could pass it on to your children. This is why you are called a “carrier” of alpha plus thalassaemia. Carrying alpha plus thalassaemia is extremely common among people who originate from Africa, the Indian sub-continent, the Mediterranean area, the Middle East or South East Asia. It is found occasionally in North Europeans. It is thought that people with alpha plus thalassaemia have some protection against malaria in infancy and that is why it has become so common in certain parts of the world. Worldwide there are over 250 million carriers of alpha plus thalassaemia, and in the UK there are over half a million carriers.
Can carrying alpha plus thalassaemia cause you any health problems?
Some carriers may be mildly anaemic (have a lower haemoglobin than usual). Some carrier women become anaemic when they are pregnant. The anaemia does not have any bad effect on health or length of life. There is nothing you can do about it. You should have a diet with enough iron and vitamins, to avoid getting anaemic for any other reason. A doctor who does not know you carry alpha plus thalassaemia could think you are short of iron because you have small red cells, and could prescribe iron medicines. In the long run, this could do you more harm than good. Carriers of alpha plus thalassaemia need a special blood test (serum iron or serum ferritin test) to diagnose iron deficiency. You should take iron medicines only if this test shows you are short of iron.
Why is it important to know you carry alpha plus thalassaemia?
It could be important for the health of your children. Sometimes a carrier of alpha plus thalassaemia has a child with a serious inherited anaemia. The risk is small, but it is important to know about it because you can avoid it. A person who carries alpha plus thalassaemia can only have a child with an inherited anaemia if their partner is also a carrier of a haemoglobin variation.
What should you do if you are thinking of having children?
Tell your partner that you carry alpha plus thalassaemia, and ask him or her to have a blood test “for haemoglobinopathy”. Ideally your partner should have this test before you start a pregnancy. Their general practitioner (GP) can arrange it. If your partner does not carry a haemoglobin variation, there is no risk that your baby could have a serious inherited anaemia.
What should you do if your partner is also a carrier of a haemoglobin varient?
Arrange to speak to your GP. Ask for an immediate appointment to discuss your situation with a local specialist counsellor (see below for details). This is particularly important if you have already started a pregnancy. You can also contact the counselling service directly.
Is there anything else you should do?
If you already have children, or you have brothers or sisters, they may also carry alpha plus thalassaemia. Encourage them to ask their GP for a blood test “for haemoglobinopathy”. You can ask the counselling service for more information about carrying alpha plus thalassaemia. Information on counselling services for haemoglobinopathies can be obtained from:
Cardiff Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Centre
Butetown Health Centre
Loudoun Square,
Butetown
Cardiff
CF10 5UZ
Tel: 029 2047 1055
