Is thalassemia the same as being “anemic”?
Most people diagnosed as “anemic” have iron-deficiency anemia and are often treated with iron supplements and seldom if ever require blood transfusions. The kind of anemia caused by thalassemia is more serious and is the result of an imbalance in the patient’s hemoglobin that makes it incapable of carrying sufficient oxygen throughout the body. It cannot be treated with iron supplements.
