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BETA THALASSEMIA ABOUT BETA THALASSEMIA Beta Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder. In some ways it can be viewed as an extreme form of anemia. Patients of Beta Thalassemia typically require regular blood transfusions and constant medication and have much lower life expectancy compared to average people. As we all know, all our body parts require oxygen for energy. Oxygen is carried to different parts of our body by our blood. Blood has a component called hemoglobin to which oxygen molecules can attach themselves, like passengers (oxygen) sitting in a car (hemoglobin). However the blood of Beta Thalassemics has insufficient or defective hemoglobin, resulting in insufficient oxygen traveling through the body and the complication mentioned above. Like all other genetic disorders, Beta Thalassemia is present in patients from birth. It can not be contracted after birth, through any channel like food, water, air or sex. Beta Thalassemia is usually detected between the age of 6 and 24 months. Modern medical science has found some treatments which are effective to different degrees. Resources for Beta Thalassemia treatment and support are available in most Indian cities. Other sections of this website delve into these topics. Beta Thalassemia is found in people of Mediterranean descent such as Italians and Greeks, and is also found in people from the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Africa, India and southern China. Click here for references