What Are the Symptoms of Thalassemia?
The symptoms of thalassemia depend on which type you have.
Thalassemia minor
Thalassemia minor usually does not cause any symptoms. If it does, it causes only minor anemia.
Beta thalassemia
Beta thalassemia comes in two serious types: thalassemia major (also called Cooley’s anemia) and thalassemia intermedia.
The symptoms of thalassemia major (Cooley’s anemia) generally appear before a child’s second birthday. The severe anemia related to this condition can be life-threatening. Other symptoms include:
fussiness
paleness
frequent infections
poor appetite
failure to thrive
jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
enlarged organs
This form of thalassemia is usually so severe that it requires regular blood transfusions.
Thalassemia intermedia is a less severe form of beta thalassemia. While people with this condition still have anemia, they do not need blood transfusions.